The organization of the FGrHist

by Mortimer Chambers (Leiden)

Die Fragmente der Griechischen Historiker as completed by Jacoby himself in 1958, consists of three parts originally covering 15 volumes in print.

Table of Contents of Fragmente der griechischen Historiker

Part I. Genealogie und Mythographie

• Volume A: Vorrede. Text. Addenda. Konkordanz [Nr. 1-63] [Greek text]
• Volume a: Kommentar. Nachträge. [Nr 1-63] [in German]

Part II. Zeitgeschichte

• Volume A: Universalgeschichte und Hellenika. [Nr. 64-105] [Greek text]
• Volume B: Spezialgeschichten. Autobiographien und Memoiren. Zeittafeln. [Nr 106-261] [Greek Text]
• Volume C: Kommentar zu Nr 64-105 [in German]
• Volume D: Kommentar zu Nr 106-261 [in German]

Part III. Geschichte von Städten und Völkern (Horographie und Ethnographie)

• Volume A: Autoren über verschiedene Städte (Länder). Nr. 262-296 [Greek text]
• Volume a: Kommentar zu Nr. 262-296 [in German]
• Volume B: Autoren über einzelne Städte (Länder). Nr. 297-607 [Greek text], with exception of Nr. 323a-334 [Greek text]
• Volume b: Kommentar zu Nr 297-607, in two volumes: [Vol 1] Text [in German]
• Volume b (Supplement): A Commentary on the Ancient Historians of Athens (Nos. 323a-334), in two volumes:
• Vol. 1 Text [in English]
• Vol. 2 Notes, Addenda, Corrigenda, Index [in English]
• Volume C: Autoren über einzelne Länder. [Nr 608a-856]
• Vol.1 ägypten-Geten. Nr 608a-708 [Greek text]
• Vol. 2 Illyrien-Thrakien Nr. 709-856 [Greek text]

There are some additions to and notes on FGrHist by H. J. Mette, “Die 'Kleinen' griechischen Historiker heute,“ Lustrum 21 (1978) 5-43; id., “Nachtrag zu Lustrum 21, 21.41,“ ibid. 22 (1879-80) 107-8; id., “Die 'Kleinen' griechischen Historiker heute (Ergänzungen zu Lustrum ... bis zum Jahre 1984),“ ibid. 27 (1985) 33-38.

In 1999 an Index to Die Fragmente der Griechischen Historiker compiled by Pierre Bonnechère was published in three volumes:

• Volume I: Introduction. Alphabetical List of Authors Conserving Testimonia and Fragments
• Volume II: Concordance Jacoby – Source
• Volume III: Alphabetical List of Fragmentary Historians with Alphabetical List of Source-Authors for Each

Editorial practices of FGrHist

by Mortimer Chambers (Leiden)

The historians are numbered consecutively in a single series through all volumes. They are grouped into the several Parts listed below, following Jacoby's division according to literary type. The entry on a given historian begins with items under the rubric T (Testimonia), which are references to the man and his works in other authors, lexicographers, grammarians, and the like. Then come the “fragments” of the historian, headed by F, which are quotations from his writings. Jacoby's style was always to cite the historian by name and number and then list the fragment, in the form, e.g., Hellanikos 4 F 38 (beginning with Part II, a number in parentheses following Jacoby's number is the number of the fragment in the Müllers' Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum).

The fragments are often summaries of what the historian wrote, but when they seem to preserve the actual words of the historian, Jacoby called attention to this by printing these direct quotations in spaced-out (“gesperrt”) letters. Where the fragments can be assigned to a certain work by the historian (e.g. the Atthis of Hellanicus, 4 FF 38-49), this is done and they are grouped under the number of the book or division, if this is known, within the original work; if the source of the fragment cites no such division, the fragment may be listed as “ohne Buchzahl,” without a book number. If it is unclear from which work of the writer the fragment comes, this may be indicated in various ways (“Fragmente ungewisser Stellung,” “Verschiedenes”: fragments of uncertain location, miscellaneous). Fragments perhaps not coming from the historian at all may be labeled as doubtful or inauthentic (“Zweifelhaftes,” “Unechtes”) or may be signaled with an asterisk before the number. In the volumes of commentary, the arrangement is naturally by the number of the historian and of the fragment. Over the years the commentaries became ever longer.

Abkürzungen (Siglen) in Apparat und Kommentar

The continuation of the FGrHist

by Mortimer Chambers (Leiden)

On his death in 1959, Felix Jacoby left uncompleted the original plan for the Fragmente. Not only was he unable to complete his commentary to Part III C, but no parts of three whole sections foreseen in the original plan were ever published.

Jacoby did however leave behind a considerable Nachlass of more than 1200 pages of notes and outlines relating to his commentary to FGrHist Part III C. Professor Charles W. Fornara has published a first fascicle of Jacoby's text (Fasc. 1. Commentary on Nos. 608a-608, 1994), sometimes with minor modifications and making additions of his own (between brackets). In writing this commentary Professor Fornara has tried to follow the stylistic conventions which Jacoby preferred and has done his best to emulate his general approach.

An international venture is also undertaken to prepare and publish in fascicles two of the sections which Jacoby had planned but never managed to publish: Part IV (Biography and Antiquarian literature and Part V (Historical geography).