Quote Originally Posted by conon394
Have a bit more hope Kraxis, after all the Oxyrhynchus Papyri are also the only source for the Oxyrhynchus Historian (very likely Kratippos of Athens). If the dump has his sober history of the early 4th century, why not other quality historians as well.

Even tragedy and comedy can be useful historical sources, the Persians by Aeschylus is as valuable as Herodotus when it comes to the battle of Salamis.
It is not that I deny that works by historians could be in the pile, even in large numbers, but most of them are really 'only' a chronological eventline. Something even the most basic person could read (if he could read that is). Also something like that would have much more interest for the trader, the craftsman and the peasant. Polybius' works are to a geat extent something like manuals for the commander or the general at home. Thus it is unlikely that we would finds his works in the pile, as the general population would most likely never have heard of him.

And of course tragedies and comedies are of important value, if not for their direct historical content then for their indirect content (how people lived and acted, what they cared about what they hated, what they did in their sparetime ect ect).

I would love for them to find the great work on the phalanx by Polybius, I just think it is highly unlikely as it would be out of place there.