Überlegungen zu POxy LXXI 4808

Taking the paper by Prandi and Landucci as a starting point, this contribution discusses some problems regarding Poxy LXXI 4808. 1) In col. I 14-15, the name of the biographer Hermippus (Ἔ[ρ|μιπ]πος) is supplied as that of the authority referred to for, among other things, the statement that Cleitarchus was the teacher of Ptolemy IV, which favors a late date for this historian of Alexander. 2) According to our reconstruction of the discussion of Hieronymus of Cardia, the historian was regarded by the author as unbiased, but too heavily reliant on speeches. 3) Cleitarchus is accused of exaggeration, which means that the author doubted the reliability of his account. 4) The text might have been part of a collection of material (hypomnema) for a historiographical work. 5) In terms of historiographical theory in antiquity, the text provides significant evidence for the importance of truth and the active participation of the historian in the events described.