The conclusions stated in the following pages are based upon the examination of the Greek documents of about three hundred papyri, the large majority belonging to the British Museum. For reference to authorities, I have principally used the following: Kenyon, Greek Papyri in the British Museum; Mahaffy, On the Flinders Patrie Papyri, 1891,1893; Grenfell, Hunt, and Hogarth, Fayum Towns and their Papyri; Grenfell and Hunt, The Oxyrhynchus Papyri I. and II., 1898, 1899. Also the facsimiles and lists published by Schow, Karabacek, Wessely, Thompson, Montfaucon (Book V. of the Pal. Graec.) Wilcken (Observationes ad Historiam Aegypti Prov. Rom. depromptae e pap. Berol. ined. 1885); as well as other works by the authors above-named, viz., Kenyon, Class. Texts, &c.; Grenfell and Hunt, Gk. Pap. Ser. I. and II.; Rev. Laws of Ptol. Phil.; and lastly the ostrakon-literature dealing with the same symbols, especially Wilcken's many publications (esp. Griech. Ostraka, 1899); Revillout and Wilcken in Rev. Egypt.; Birch and Sayce in Proc. Soc. Bibl. Arch.