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The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Vol. 1, edited by Bernard P. Grenfell and Arthur S. Hunt (London: Egypt Exploration Fund, 1898)
Public notices and official correspondence, Nos. 44-65. (AD 86 - 325) [1] [2]
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No.44. Sale of Taxes. 17.3 x 14.4 cm. Late 1st century AD. (p.100)
Letter from Paniscus, strategus of the nome, to Asclepiades the
basilicogrammateus, with reference to the difficulty of finding persons
willing to take the responsibility of farming certain taxes. The
strategus had been in communication with the praefect on the subject,
and now writes to the basilicogrammateus to acquaint him with the state
of affairs.
The letter is written in a fine semi-cursive hand dating from about the
end of the first century, probably the reign of Domitian, to which a
number of dated papyri found with this one belong.
translation:
"Paniscus, strategus of the Oxyrhynchite nome, to
Asclepiades,basilicogrammateus of the same nome, greeting. At the last
sale of taxes held by myself and you in the presence of the customary
officials, the farmers of the tax on sales and the farmer of the tax
payable to the record office not only refused to bid, on the plea that
they had incurred sufficient loss already, but seemed likely to abscond
[1]. I accordingly thought it best to write to his excellency the
praefect on the matter. He replied requesting me to examine the terms
under which the taxes had previously been farmed, and as far as
possible to lighten the burden of the farmers, in order to prevent the
disappearance of those who were being pressed to bid [2]. I have
therefore already sent you the copy of his letter to inform you, and to
acquaint you with the fact that in your absence, as the taxes have been
refused by the present farmers and no one else at all has come forward
to undertake the responsibility, though the taxes have been put up to
auction several times, I have taken declarations by the farmers of the
tax upon sales and those payable to the record office."
notes:
1. For the difficulty of finding persons willing to undertake the
farming of the taxes cf. the edict of Tiberius Alexander (C. I. G.
4,957) in the reign of Galba, and note on Rev. Pap. XXXIV. 18.
2. The agoranomion, which appears to be identical with the graphion in
23, is the tax paid for the services of the agoranomus as notary in
drawing up contracts, etc. cf. B.G.U. 277, II.11, where the tax called
graphion is coupled with chartera, the tax on papyrus. On the
advantages gained by the government and the tax-payers through the
system of playing off the tax-farmers against the officials, cf. note
on Rev. Pap. XXXI. 14.
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No.45. Land Distribution. 20 x 9.5 cm. AD 95.
This and the two following papyri, together with clxv, clxxiv, clxxv
and clxxvi, described at the end of the volume, are concerned with
katalochismoi. This was the title given to the distribution of parcels
of land katakoi to the klerocoi, [p.102) a privileged class of
settlers who were exempt from the poll-tax (Wilcken, Hermes, xxviii.
249). The various kleroi were called after the name of individuals, not
improbably the first katoikoi to whom they were assigned (xlv. I6,
xlvi. 19, xlvii. 18), and were subdivided into mere belonging to one or
several katoikoi. The administration of katalochismoi was under the
superintendence of an official who had his agents in the different
nomes ...
The owners of katalochismoi paid a tax to the state, which like
other taxes was farmed out. xlv, xlvi, and xlvii are official
notifications addressed by the inspectors of katalochismoi in the
Oxyrhynchite nome to the agoranomi, announcing that the ownership of a
certain meros had changed hands. The land is stated to have been
'ceded', and sometimes 'in accordance with a contract' (xlv. 7).
Nothing is said to imply that the transaction was a sale, but it
probably was so in all these cases ; cf. B.G.U. 282, which is a
contract for the sale of a piece of land ....
The present document is a letter from Phanias and two other inspectors of
katalochismoi, addressed to the agoranomi and stating that 1 and 11/12
arourae of corn land had been ceded by Tapotamon, daughter of
Ptolemaeus, to Diogenes, son of (the same?) Ptolemaeus. The letter is endorsed at the bottom by
Heraclas, one of the senders, the body of the document having no doubt
been written by one of his clerks.
translation:
"Phanias, Heraclas, and Diogenes also called Hermaeus, officials
employed in land distribution, to the agoranomi, greedng. Diogenes, son
of Ptolemaeus, has had ceded to him by Tapotamon, the daughter of
Ptolemiaeus, son of Kolylis, acting with her guardian who is her
grandson Plutarchus, son of Plutarchus, son of Plutarchus, in
accordance with the terms of a contract executed this day, a square
piece of allotment corn land ready for sowing, the property of
Tapotamon, situated near the village of Korobis and forming part of the
lot of Menoetius, in size 1 + 1/2 + 1/3 + 1/12 arourae. We therefore
write to you to inform you. Farewell."
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No.48. Emancipation of a Slave. 15. 7 x 9.5 cm AD 86 (p.105)
This and the two following documents are concerned with the manumission
of slaves. The form of manumission described in them is by purchase,
the procedure being briefly this :—the terms of freedom having been
agreed upon by master and slave, a notification of the details of the
transaction was sent to the agoranomus by the banker through whom the
purchase money was paid, accompanied perhaps by his receipt for the
payment (cf. 1). The slave was then presumably declared by the
agoranomus to be free.
It is not however made clear what formalities other than the payment of
a sum of money by the slave preceded the notification to the
agoranomus, or with which, if any, of the forms of emancipation under
the empire, collected e. g. by Mitteis, Reichsrecht tind Volksrecht, p.
372 sqq., these manumissions should be classed. Possibly they are
examples of the common hierodulismus, cf 1. 3, note. In any case it is
clear that the initiative came from the slave, and that these cases are
therefore to be contrasted with that described in B.G.U. 96, where the
master by a simple declaration grants the slave his freedom, and
nothing is paid except the regular tax of 5 per cent, on manumissions
...
The present text is a letter addressed by Chaeremon to the agoranomus
of Oxyrhynchus, requesting him to grant freedom to a female slave named
(p.106) Euphrosyne, whose emancipation had been purchased for lo
drachmae of silver and lo talents, 3,000 drachmae of copper.
translation:
"Chaeremon [1] to the agoranomus, greeting. Grant freedom to
Euphrosyne, a slave, aged about 35 years, born in her owner's house of
the slave Demetrous. She is being set at liberty under by ransom [2] by
her mistress Aloine, daughter of Komon, son of Dionysius, of
Oxyrhynchus, under the wardship of Komon, the son of Aloine's deceased
brother Dioscorus. The price paid is 10 drachmae of coined silver and
10 talents, 3,000 drachmae of copper. Farewell."
notes: (p.107)
1. Chaeremon was probably the banker through whom the price of the slave's freedom was paid..
2. hupo diagenelion: this
strange term, the meaning of which is quite obscure, recurs in xlix. 8.
It is the name of the form under which the manumission was carried out.
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No. 51. Report of a Public Physician. 14 x 7.2 cm. AD 173.
A report addressed to the strategus of the nomc by a public physician,
stating that, in accordance with the instructions of the strategus to
examine into the cause of a death which had taken place and present a
report, he had visited the house and seen the body ; cf. B.G.U.
647. The papyrus is written in a very cursive sloping hand.
translation:
"To Claudianus, strategus, from Dionysus, son of Apollodorus, son of Dionysius,
of Oxyrhynchus, public physician. I was to-day instructed by you,
through Heraclides your assistant, to inspect the body of a man who had
been found hanged, named Hierax, and to report to you my opinion upon
it. I therefore inspected the body in the presence of the aforesaid
HeracUdes at the house of Epagathus, son of . . . merus, son of
Sarapion, in the Broad Street quarter, and found it hanged by a noose,
which fact I accordingly report."
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No.52. Report of Public Physicians. 14.7 x 10 cm. AD 325. (p.109)
Report by public physicians addressed to the logistes (cf. note on
xlii. i), stating that in accordance with directions received they had
visited the daughter of Aurelius Dioscorus and found her suffering from
wounds caused by the house falling down.(p.109)
translation:
"In the consulship of Paulinas and Julianus, the most illustrious. To Flavins
Leucadius, logistes of the Oxyrhynchite nome, from the Aurelii .... Didymus and
Silvanus, of the most illustrious city of Oxyrhynchus, public
physicians. Your grace sent us in consequence of a petition received by
you from Aurelius Dioscorus, son of Dorotheus, of Oxyrhynchus, to make
a report in wridng upon his daughter, who, as he complained, had been
injured by the fall of his house which had occurred. We accordingly
went to Dioscorus' house, and saw that the girl had several cuts in her
hip and wounds near the shoulder and on the right knee. We therefore
present this report."
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No.53 Report on a Persea Tree. 24.8 x 15.5 cm. AD 316. (p.110)
Report addressed to Valerius Ammonianus, logistes, by Aurelius Irenaeus
on behalf of the guild of carpenters of which he was president for the
time being, concerning a persea tree which he had been commissioned to
examine, no doubt with a view to its being cut down. The papyrus, which
is numbered at the top 105, formed one of a series of similar reports,
glued together in the office of the logistes or at the archives, cf.
xxxiv. I. 13 note. Parts of the preceding and succeeding documents are
preserved, the one written by some builders, the other by two public
physicians, and both having the same formula as 51 and 52, to which the
present papyrus also bears much resemblance.(p.1110 On the
Egyptian Persea tree cf.. Pliny, Hist. Nat. xiii. 9, 15. A law of Arcadius [Cod. Justin, xi. 77) forbad its being cut down or sold.
translation:
"To Valerius Ammonianus, also called Gerontius, logistes of the
Oxyrhynchite nome, from the guild of carpenters of the illustrious and
most illustrious city of Oxyrhynchus, through me, Aurehus Irenaeus, son
of Apelles, the monthly president. I was sent by your grace owing to a
communication received by you from Aurelius Palises, accountant of the
repairs now being auspiciously carried out in the public warm baths
[1], to examine a single persea tree which is in the city, and to make
a report upon it to you in writing. I accordingly examined the persea
tree and found that it had been barren for many years, and was quite
dried up and unable to produce any more fruit, which facts I therefore
report."
notes:
1. Thermon: perhaps the thermae Hadrianae, cf liv. 14. In xliii, however, two Balaneia besides the thermae are mentioned.
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No.54. Repair of Public Buildings. 30 x 9 cm. AD 201. (p.111)
Letter addressed to two municipal officials of Oxyrhynchus by two
builders who had undertaken to repair the Baths of Hadrian, asking for
the payment out of the city's chest of 3 talents of silver on account.
translation: (p.112)
"To Sarapion, also called Horion, gymnasiarch in office (the applicant
on account of his youth being introduced by his paternal grandfather
Apion, ex-gymnasiarch), and Achillion, exegetes in office (through
AchiUion, also called Sarapammon, his son and deputy), from Diogenes,
son of Sarapion, and Lucius, son of Hermias, both of Oxyrhynchus,
appointed by the city clerk, in accordance with the decision of the
council of magistrates, to superintend the repairs and fixtures of the
Baths of Hadrian. We request that we may receive at the city's expense,
to pay for material, three talents of silver on account, total 3 tal.,
of which we will render due account."
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No.55 Embellishment of a New Street. 23 x 15.8 cm. AD 283. (p.112)
Letter addressed to Aurelius Apollonius, a holder of several municipal
offices, by two joiners, asking for the payment of 4 talents, 4000
drachmae as wages in connexion with the construction of a street.
There are three copies of the application, of which we print the best
(p.113) preserved ; the few lacunae are filled up from the other two
copies, a collation with which is given below. The application is dated
in the short reign of Carus with his two sons Carinus and Numerianus.
translation:
"To Aurelius Apollonius, also called Dionysius, ex-recorder, etc.,
ex-gymnasiarch, councillor, prytanis in office of the illustrious and
most illustrious city of Oxyrhynchus,public magistrate, from Aurelius
Menestheus and Aurelius Nemesianus, both sons of Dionysius, of the same
illustrious city of Oxyrhynchus, Kasiotic [1] joiners. We request that
orders may be given for payment to be made to us at the city's expense
on account of wages due for work done by us as Kasiotic joiners on both
sides of the street built by you from the gateway of the gymnasium
leading southwards to the lane of Hieracius, of the total amount due
for the whole work, in accordance with the vote of the high council,
namely four talents and four thousand drachmae, 4 tal. 4000 dr. And we
beg you to instruct the public treasurer to pay us in full, as is
usual."
notes:
1. Kasioton: Kasion near Pelusium gave its name to a special kind of woodwork, which was first manufactured there. ...
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No. 56 Appointment of a Guardian. 23.8 x 9.5 cm. AD 211. (p.114)
Letter addressed to Maximus, a holder of various municipal offices, by
Tabesammon, daughter of Ammonius; stating that she had arranged to
borrow some money on the security of her vineyard, and asking him, in
the absence of the Basilicos grammateus, to allow Amoitas to act as her
guardian for that transaction only. At the bottom are the signatures of
Tabesammon and Amoitas.
translation: (p.115)
"To Maximus, priest, exegetes in office, and councillor, from Tabesammon, the
daughter
of Ammonius otherwise called Cassius, of Oxyrhynchus, her mother being
Diophantis, a citizen. As I am borrowing for my pressing needs a sum of
money at interest, amounting to six thousand drachmae, upon the
securiiy of
property consisting of a piece of vine land and all its appurtenances
near the village of Oinaru, I make the request through you, being aware
. . . that the royal scribe, the acting strategus, is absent, that I
may have assigned to me as my guardian (ov this transaction only
Amoitas, son of Ploution and Demetrous, of the aforesaid city of
Oxyrhynchus, who is present and gives his consent. I have paid the
appointed tax for making such a request."
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No.57. Peculation by a Treasury Official. 27 x 9.1 cm. 3rd c. AD. (p.115)
Letter from Aurelius Apolinarius, strategus of the Oxyrhynchite nome,to
Apion, ex-strategus of the Antaeopolite nome, written at the
instigation of Dioscorus, the successor of Apion, and requesting the
immediate payment of a sum of money which one of Apion's late
subordinates had failed to pay over to the treasury at the proper time.
Translation: (p.116)
"Aurelius Apolinarius, strategus of the Oxyrhynchite nome, to his dear
friend Apion, ex-strategus of the AntaeopoHte nome, greeting.
Dioscorus, strategus of the Antaeopolite nome, has sent me a despatch
which has been delayed until Epeiph 13 of the past third year,
explaining that Potamon, also called Sarapion, the collector of the
nome, among the receipts of the revenue of the third year when you were
in office, received towards the completion of the survey of the dykes
and canals in the second year the sum of 3187 drachmae, 3 obols, which
he did not pay over to the revenue office within the appointed time.
Dioscorus now wishes me to ask that this should be refunded, and to
credit it to the nome. In order therefore that you may be acquainted
with these facts and lose no time in repaying the money in accordance
with his letter ...."
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No.58. Appointment of Treasury Officials. 22 x 12.5 cm. AD 288. (p.116)
Letter to the strategi of the Heptanomis and the Arsinoite nome from
Servaeus (?) Africanus, who was either praefect of Egypt or, more
probably, epistrategus of the division. The writer complains of the
expense caused by the multiplication of officials connected with the
estates of the treasury, and gives instructions that in future each
estate should be administered by a single officer, assisted by at most
three subordinates.
translation: (p.117)
"Servaeus Africanus to the strategi of the epistrategia of the
Heptanomis and Arsinoite nome, greeting. The accounts have themselves
proved that a number of persons wishing to swallow up the estates of
the treasury have devised for themselves various titles, such as
administrators, secretaries, or superintendents, by which means ihey
secure no advantage to the treasury, but swallow up its surplus. It has
therefore become necessary to send you instructions to cause the
election, on the responsibility of the several councils, of a single
trustworthy superintendent over each estate, and to put an end to the
other offices. The superintendent elected shall have the power to
choose two or at most three other persons to assist him in his work. In
this way useless expense will be stopped, and the estates of the
treasury will receive proper attention. You will of course take care
that only such persons are appointed to assist these superintendents as
are in a position to stand the test."
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No.62 verso. Letter of a Centurion. 26 x 7.2 cm. 3rd c. AD. (p.120)
Letter from a centurion to Syrus, acting strategus of Oxyrhynchus,
giving instructions with reference to the embarkation of corn, about
which he apprehended some deception [1]. The recto of this papyrus
contains a report in twenty (p.121) eight lines of some judicial
process before Domitius Honoratus, praefect of Egypt in the fifth year
of an emperor, perhaps Gordianus (cf. Ixxx. 12). It is unfortunately
too mutilated to give any connected sense. The decision of the
praefect, which was to the effect that certain subordinate officials
should be exempt from public burdens, is written in three shorter lines
at the end:
translation: (p.121)
"... as, centurion ... to Syrus, acting strategus, greeting. As soon as
you receive my letter send the heirs of Apollonius, magistrate of the
toparchy of Thmoisaphos, in order that there may be no fraud in the
lading through any neglect of yours. I have sent for this purpose not
only the officer of the guard but also the other councillors, so that
we may be able to do the lading quickly at any point I may require."
notes:
1. Embolen was the technical term for the annual contribution of corn supplied to Rome and afterwards to Constantinople.
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No.63. Lading and Inspection of Corn. Gizeh Museum, 10,007. 20.5 x 12.1 cm. 2nd or 3rd c. AD (p.121)
Letter to Archelaus, a minor official, from a superior, giving him
directions concerning the lading of a cargo of wheat, and its official
inspection. In this case too, perhaps, as in the preceding papyrus, the
corn was destined for Italy.
translation: (p.122)
"Paesius to his dearest Archelaus, greeting. The bearer of this letter
is the captain Panemouos ; please to see that his freight is embarked
with all despatch, and let it consist as usual of what you have in hand
and selected for lading. Send up the inspectors yourself to the
examination, getting a donkey from the chiefs of the police. After this
give him your best attention and let him see the granaries, and prepare
the overseers and the other officials concerned, whose names have been
given you by Harpocration, in order that there may be no delay. My best
wishes for your health, dearest friend."
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No.64. Order for Arrest. 5.3 x 15.8 cm. 3rd or early 4th c. AD (p.122)
Order addressed by a decurion to the chiefs of the village of Teis,
requesting them to send up for trial a certain Ammonius. Cf, Ixv.
translation: (p.123)
"From the decurion to the comarchs and guardian of the peace of the village of
Teis. Please to deliver at once to the soldier whom I have sent
Ammonius surnamed Alacer who is accused by Ptollas, or else come
yourselves. Signed."
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No. 65. Order for Arrest. 10 x 25.1 cm. 3rd or early 4th c. AD (p.123)
A similar order to the preceding, addressed to the comarchs of another village, Teruthis, by a beneficiarius (cf. xxxii. 2).
Translation:
"From the beneficiarius on duty to the comarchs of the village of
Teruthis. Deliver up to my officer whom I have sent Pachoumis, son of
Pachoumis, whom you have arrested to-day and brought to your village,
being a citizen. If you have anything to say in his favour, come with
him and tell me. See that you do not detain the officer. Signed."
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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