‘The Aristotle in Afghanistan Papyrus: A New Conjecture (P. Ai Khanoum, Col. II, 8 – 9).’

This paper advances a new textual proposal for the papyrus remains of a philosophical dialogue preserved in a clay imprint, P. Ai Khanoum (inv. no.: Akh iii B 77, P.O. 154 = Mertens-Pack 02563.010), usually attributed to Aristotle and thought to be from his fragmentary works On Philosophy or Sophist. We suggest a new reading for Col. ii 8-9, supplying τῶν κοινοτάτων. Besides enjoying good palaeographical compatibility with the remaining traces, this proposal makes the overall argumentative structure in the surviving columns more linear and philosophically consistent. It also presents some novel philosophical contexts for the papyrus. Finally, our new textual proposal raises some further questions about the source of the arguments presented in P. Ai Khanoum, as well as authorship of the dialogue. A new text of those sections whose philosophical content survives (Cols. ii 2-12; iii), along with a new English translation of this material, appears in an Appendix.