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The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Vol. 7, edited by Bernard P. Grenfell and Arthur S. Hunt (London: Egypt Exploration Fund, 1910)
Documents of the Roman and Byzantine Periods:
Official Documents: Nos. 1022-1026 (AD 103 - 5th century AD) [1][2]
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No. 1022. Enrolment of Recruits. 36.8 X 9 cm. AD 103. Plate I. (p.150)
This is a letter in Latin addressed by the praefect of Egypt, C.
Minicius Italus, to Celsianus, praefect of the third Ituraean cohort,
announcing the addition to the cohort of six recruits, whose names,
ages, and distinguishing marks, if any, are given. At the foot is a
note of the receipt of the letter and of its entry in the archives of
the cohort. The document, which is in excellent preservation, is
written in a clear cursive: dots are placed usually after abbreviated
words and in some cases also after numerals, rarely elsewhere.
Translation from Latin: (p.151)
“C. Minicius Italus to his dear Celsianus, greeting. Give orders that
the six recruits who have been approved by me in the cohort under your
command be included in the ranks from Feb. 19 [1]: I append to this
letter their names and descriptions. Farewell, dearest brother. C.
Veturius Gemellus [2], aged 21, without description, C. Longius
Priscus, aged 22; description, a mark on his left eyebrow, C. Julius
Maximus, aged 25, without description, [.] Lucius Secundus, aged 20,
without description, C, Julius Saturninus, aged 23; description, a mark
on his left hand, M. Antonius Valens, aged 22; description, a mark on
the right side of his forehead. Received on Feb. 24 in the 6th year of
our emperor Trajan through Priscus, orderly. I, Avidius Arrianus,
adjutant of the third cohort of the Ituraeans [3], have written out the
original letter for the archives of the cohort.’
Fig.1: Oxy 1022: Enrolment of Recruits (Plate I)
notes:
1. Feb. 24, A.D. 103 (Il. 24-5) is the latest date so far known for the
praefecture of Minicius Italus, who was succeeded in this year by
Vibius Maximus. ‘The papyrus confirms the view of the date of Italus
expressed in P. Amh, 64, and the corrected reading of B. G. U. 908. 9,
ε (ἔτει), in Archiv il. p. 137.
2. C. Veturius Gemellus: This man recurs forty years later as a veteran in No. 1035.
3. The third Ituraean cohort is mentioned as being in Egypt in the year
83 in C.1. L. iii. p. 1962. From the fact that this letter was found at
Oxyrhynchus it may be inferred that the cohort was at this period
stationed in that district. That a son of one of the recruits
subsequently appears there (1085. 1-3) well accords with such a
conclusion.
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No. 1023. Arrival of a Veteran. 8.3 X 7.5 cm. 2nd century AD. (p.152)
A brief note recording the presence, at Oxyrhynchus no doubt, of a
veteran soldier, with particulars of his entry upon the praefect’s
list. The document is unaddressed, and is no more than an occasional
memorandum. It is inscribed on the verso of 1035, and presumably
belongs, like that papyrus, to the reign of Antoninus, in spite of the
formula of ll. 8-9, which was probably taken over from an earlier
document. Lines 6-9 supply a new date for the praefecture of Q. Rammius
Martialis, which is shown to go back to the first year of Hadrian.
translation from Greek: (p.153)
"Publius Petronius Celer, discharged soldier, now for the first time
residing, declared to have been placed on the list [1] by Quintus
Rammius Martialis [2] in the first year of Hadrianus the lord."
notes:
1. A record of the place of residence chosen by the veterans was kept
in the epikrisis-lists ; cf. B.G U. 113. On the subject of the
epikrisis of the veterans see P. Meyer, Heerwesen, p. 125.
2. The earliest date hitherto recorded for the praefecture of Q.
Rammius Martialis was Pharmouthi 28 of the second year of Hadrian (23
April 118), in Ὁ. I.G. 4713 f = Ditten-berger, Orzentis Gr. Inscr. ii.
678 ; he is now shown to have entered upon his office before the end of
Hadrian’s first year, i.e. before 29 August, 117. His predecessor, M.
Rutilius Lupus, was still praefect on the fifth of January of that year
(B.G.U. 114. 5).
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No. 1024. Order for a grant of seed. 30.4 X 6.5 cm. AD 129. (p.153)
An authorization from the strategus and basilicogrammateus of the nome
to a local sitologus for a grant of seed-corn to a cultivator. The
document is closely parallel to P. Brit. Mus. 256 recto (e) (Catalogue
ii. p. 96). an earlier authorization of a similar character, though
differing in detail, conveyed from the strategus and basilicogrammateus
by a son of an imperial slave; and in one or two places it helps to
establish the text of that interesting but imperfect papyrus. Cf.
Wilcken, Archiv iii. pp. 236-7 ; Goodspeed, Papyri from Karanis, p. 10.
Translation from Greek: (p.155)
" Asclepiades, strategus of the Oxyrhynchite nome, to Heraclas also
called Heraclides, sitologus of the district of Pakerke in the eastern
toparchy, greeting. Measure out, with the authorization [1] also
of Hierax the basilicogrammateus, from the best sample, of the produce
of the past 13th year, for the sowing of the present 14th year of
Hadrianus Caesar the lord, as a loan of seed for Apollonius son of
Heliodorus son of Apollonius, his mother being Thais daughter of
Chaeremon, of the city of Oxyrhynchus, aged about 78, with a scar on
the right eyebrow, whom you are to recognize at your own risk, as
requested by him for the 14 arourae of land which he cultivates near
the village of Ophis in the holding of Apollonius of the Althaean deme
[2] with those of Pyrrhias and Lysimachus, one and one quarter artabae
of wheat, pure, unadulterated, unmixed with earth and sifted, according
to public measure and regulation measurement, total 14 art. wheat,
without any deduction for debts or any other purpose; and he shall sow
it on the land in good faith under the observance of the usual officers
[3], and shall repay an equivalent amount out of the new crop together
with the government dues upon the land; and you shall take from him a
proper receipt in duplicate and shall give one copy to me. The 14th
year of the Emperor Caesar - Trajanus Hadrianus Augustus, Hathur 17.
From Hierax, basilicogrammateus and deputy-strategus: measure out the
one and a quarter artabae of wheat, total τῷ wheat, as above."
notes:
1. The authorization is nominally issued by the strategus although, as
the signature in lines 43-46 shows, the basilicogrammateus was
discharging the duties of the superior office.
2. Althaean deme: at this period the name of an Alexandrian deme was
regularly accompanied by that of the tribe (cf. Schubart, Archzv v. pp.
83 sqq.); the absence of the latter here is of course due to the fact
that the name of the κλῆρος dates from an earlier time.
3. the officials meant probably coincided at least partially with those
specified in P. Brit. Mus. 256 recto (d) 1-4 as concurring in the
authorization of the grant to which 256 recto (e) refers, namely the
ἡγούμενος κώμης (?)], the toparch, the comogrammateus and the scribe of
the public cultivators.
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No. 1025. Engagement of Performers. 25:0 X 7-2 cm. Late 3rd c. AD. (p.156)
An order from the municipal officials of Euergetis to an actor and a
Homeric reciter to come and perform on the occasion of a festival. The
document is analogous to P. Grenf. II. 67, in which the president of a
village council engages the services of two dancing-girls, and which
belongs, like 1025, to the third century; cf. also 475, 781, Brit. Mus.
331, P. Flor. 74, and 519 and 1050, which record payments made to a
mime and a reciter, no doubt on some such occasion as the present.
Translation from Greek: (p.157)
"Aurelius Agathus, gymnasiarch, prytanis in office, and Aurelius
Hermanobammon [1], exegetes, and Aurelius Didymus, chief priest, and
Aurelius Coprias, cosmetes, of the city of Euergetis [2], to Aurelius
Euripas, actor [3], and Aurelius Sarapas, Homeric reciter, greeting.
Come at once, in accordance with your custom of taking part in the
holiday, in order to celebrate with us our traditional festival on the
birthday of Cronus the most great god. The spectacles will begin
to-morrow the roth and be held for the regular number of days ; and you
will receive the usual payment [4] and presents. Signed. I,
Hermanobammon, exegetes, pray for your health." Similar signatures of
Didymus and Coprias follow.
notes:
1. Hermanobammon is a compound of the names of three deities, Hermes,
Anoubis, and Ammon. Ἑρμανοῦβις and Ἑρμάμμων are already familiar
(B.G.U.332. 9, P. Leipzig 15).
2. Euergetis is mentioned in No.814, a papyrus of the first century AD; it was evidently a considerable place.
3. βιολόγῳ [here translated as actor] : this word occurs in an epigram
found at Aquileia (Jacobs, Azth. Pal. iii. Ῥ. 970) It meant much
the same as μῖμος, no doubt; cf. Nos. 519 and 1050. where a μῖμος
[mime] and a ὁμηριστής [Homeric reciter] stand in close proximity.
4. The scale of payment was high, as is shown by No. 519, where a mimos
[mime] receives 496 and a ὁμηριστής [Homeric reciter] 448 drachmae. It
appears from that papyrus that the municipal officials made
considerable contributions towards such entertainments.
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No. 1026. Attestation of Agreement. 28-8 x 17-8cm. 5th century AD (p.157)
The compact recorded in this papyrus is not very clearly expressed, but
the main points are sufficiently evident. The principals are Gerontius
and John, the lattér apparently being in Gerontius’ debt. It is
directed that certain personal effects should be sold and the debt paid
; and that any surplus should be given to John’s children. A list is
appended of the property, with the prices obtained for the articles
already sold: as often happens in such lists, some rare or (p.158)
unknown words occur. The document was drawn up by two πρεσβύτεροι, who
seem to have been to some extent mediators as well as witnesses; cf.
note on l]. 2. No date is given, but the character of the handwriting
and the nature of the sums mentioned fix the period fairly definitely.
Translation from Greek: (pp.158-9)
"We have mediated between Gerontius and John to this effect :—John
shall take the cloaks and the linen with the veils and the kerchiefs to
be sold, and shall pay the loan of the three solidi; and we have given
them to Gerontius to be sold for their value, as to the (p.159) amount
of which an oath shall be taken(?);[1] and the remainder shall be paid
to John for the expenses of his children. The articles sold are as
follows:—an onyx-coloured Dalmatian vest at 33,850,000 denarii; another
likewise of the Xoite kind at 30,000,000 ; a... linen cloth with a
common kerchief at 1 solidus; a kerchief at 7,500,000; a towel and a
linen cloth at 15,000,000 denarii [2]. The unsold articles are as
follows :—1 small hide, 1 onyx-coloured veil, 1 Xoite [3] veil, 1...
veil, a woman’s box, a little shrine [4] to hold unguents ; these are
to be sold through Theodorus and Gerontius for their value. Expenses
through Gerontius amount to 18,600,000 denarii. We, Andreas and
Triadelphus, presbyters, are witnesses."
notes:
1. the meaning appears to be that an oath was to be taken by Gerontius
as to the amount realized, but the [verbal] construction....is harsh
and awkward.
2. On the numismatical peculiarities of this period [5th century AD]
cf. the data collected by Wessely in his article on Philogelos, ... in
Wien, Phil.-Hist. K7. cxiix. The thousands in Lines 10, 11, and 14 are
denoted, as is usual at this date, by oblique strokes at the bottom of
the figure. The symbol for μυριάδες (myriades) is a semicircle open at
the base and having a dot beneath it.
3. Xoite indicates a speciality of Xois or the Xoite nome; cf. B.G.U.927.6
4. little shrine = pantheionarion, evidently a casket of special shape, modelled perhaps on that of the Roman Pantheon.
Footnotes:
1. [Editor's Note:] The original textual commentaries and notes provided by Grenfell and Hunt on
passages in Greek, and on some bibliographic references, have
frequently been abbreviated or omitted, if not essential to
understanding the content of the papyri documents. Any such omissions
are marked with "....", and any added words needed for clarity are
placed between brackets [ ]. These elisions are separate from those
used by Grenfell and Hunt in the translated text, which have not been
altered.
2. [Editor's Note:] References to all other papyri from the Oxyrhynchus
collections are given with their sequential number as "No. xx".
Abbreviations to other papyri collections and standard historical
references used by Grenfell and Hunt include the following:
Archiv.= Archiv fur Papyrusforschung.
B.G.U. = Aeg. Urkunden aus den K. Museum zu Berlin, Griechische Urkunden.
C.I.G. = Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum
C.I.L. = Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum
Cod. Just.= Codex Justianus
Cod. Theod.= Codex Theodosianus
C.P.R. = Corpus Papyrorum Raineri, by C. Wessely.
Marcellinus =The late Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus.
P. Amh. = The Amherst Papyri (Greek), Vols. I-II, by B.P.Grenfell and A.S.Hunt.
P. Brit.Mus. = Greek papyri in the British Museum, vol.I-II by F.G. Kenyon.
P. Cairo = Catalog of the Greek Papyri in the Cairo Museum,by Grenfell & Hunt.
P.
Grenf. = Greek Papyri, Ser. 1 by B.P. Grenfell, and Ser. II by Grenfell and Hunt
P. Hibeh = The Hibeh Papyri by B.P Grenfell and A.S. Hunt
P. Leipzig = Griechische Urkunden der Papyrussammlung zu Leipzig by I Mitteis.
P. Leyden = Papyri Graeci Musei Antiquarii Lugduni-Batavi, by C. Leemans.
P. Tebt. = The Tebtunis Papyri, by B.P. Grenfell, A.S. Hunt, et al.
Perseus = the satirical ancient Roman playwright Perseus.
Wilcken, Ost. = Griechische Ostraka, by U. Wilcken.
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