Manuscripts and Repositories of the Works of Sophocles in Ancient Greek

The provenance of the Ancient Greek text of Sophocles’ works is complex, as his plays were copied, transmitted, and edited over many centuries. Here’s an overview of how his texts have come down to us:

**1. Ancient Copies and Transmission**
- Sophocles (c. 497/6–406 BCE) originally composed around 120 plays, but only **seven complete tragedies** survive:
*Ajax, Antigone, Trachiniae, Oedipus Rex, Electra, Philoctetes,* and *Oedipus at Colonus.*
- His works were performed in Athens and likely written on **papyrus scrolls** in the 5th century BCE.
- After his death, **official copies** were kept in Athenian archives, and his plays continued to be studied and performed.

**2. Hellenistic and Roman Period**
- The **Library of Alexandria (3rd–2nd century BCE)** played a major role in preserving Greek literature.
- Scholars like **Aristophanes of Byzantium** and **Didymus Chalcenterus** edited Sophocles’ texts.
- Copies of Sophocles' plays were reproduced on **papyrus manuscripts**, many of which have been lost.

**3. Byzantine Manuscripts (Medieval Period)**
- The primary surviving **medieval manuscripts** of Sophocles’ plays date from the **9th to 14th centuries CE**.
- Key manuscripts:
- **Laurentianus 32.9 (10th century)** – one of the most important witnesses to the text.
- **Parisinus Graecus 2712 no (late 13th century)** – contains marginal scholia and commentaries.
- **Venetus 464 (14th century)** – another valuable manuscript.

**4. Rediscovery in the Renaissance**
- The **Aldine edition** (1502) was the first printed version of Sophocles, based on Byzantine manuscripts.
- Later critical editions by scholars such as Richard Bentley (17th c.) and Karl Lachmann (19th c.) refined the text.

**5. Modern Critical Editions**
- Contemporary editions, such as those in the **Oxford Classical Texts** (OCT) and the **Teubner series**, rely on:
- **Medieval manuscripts** as primary sources.
- **Papyri** (e.g., Oxyrhynchus Papyri) that occasionally reveal new fragments.
- **Ancient commentaries (scholia)** that help reconstruct lost readings. Further Reading and References

Oxford Classical Texts: Sophoclis: Fabulae - Sophocles - Oxford Scholarly Editions

Sophocles; The Text of the Seven Plays : Sophocles - Internet Archive

TURYN, A. (1944). THE MANUSCRIPTS OF SOPHOCLES. Traditio, 2, 1–41. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27830043

West, M. L. (1977). [Review of Studies on the Text of Sophocles. Vol. 1: The Manuscripts and the Text. Vol. 2: The Collations, by R. D. Dawe]. Classical Philology, 72(3), 264–267.
 http://www.jstor.org/stable/268321

Studies on the text of Sophocles : Dawe, R. D. (Roger David) - Internet Archive

Studies on the Text of Sophocles: The collations - Roger David Dawe - Google Books

A Companion to Sophocles - Chapter 2
The Textual Transmission of Sophocles' Dramas by P. J. Finglass
Book Editor: Kirk Ormand 26 March 2012
https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118350508.ch2