OPES – Oslo Papyri Electronic System

Background and Physical Properties

Material:

Papyrus

Connections:

–

Size:

20.4 x 16 cm.

Lines:

18

Publication side:

Recto, the Verso published as P.Oslo II 43

Palaeographic description:

The papyrus is written in very careful and well-formed upright letters.

State of preservation:

Medium brown papyrus. Complete, torn and a bit damaged at the right and at the bottom. The top margin is 2 cm., the left 1/2. What remains of the bottom margin is 4.5 cm. at the widest.

Content

Date:

July 18, 136 A.D.

Origin:

Unknown place, Prosopite nome, province of Egypt

Language:

Greek

Genre:

Documentary

Author:

–

Title / Type of text:

Proceedings before a strategus

Content:

Naaros and Peebos appear before the strategos, accused of cutting down the vines of Imouthes

Subjects:

Proceedings Minutes Report Vineyard

Named people:

Theon, strategos of Prosopites Hadrianus, emperor Naaros, alias Konthauris Peebos Haronnesis, son of Pandbeus Imouthes, son of Horos

Named places:

Prosopites

English translation:

From the minutes of Theon, strategos of the Prosopite nome, in the 20. year of the deified Hadrian, Epeiph 24. Appearing before the court, Naaros, also called Konthauris, and Peebos, their mother beingTafesies, in the presence of Haronnesis, son of Pandbeus, and Imouthes, son of Horos. The strategos to Haronnesis: ""What did you say about these men?"" He said: ""During a supper at my house they left the party at night, and when they returned, they said they had cut down the vines of Imouthes"", Naaros and his accomplice claimed they were wrongly accused. The strategos: ""Did you not meet him?"" They said: ""Yes, but Haronnesis did not hear anything like that from us."" The strategos said: ""If you have a clear conscience, how can it be that you, after having been subpoenad, did not show up until your names were put on the board?"" They said: ""We were away, working on an estate."" The strategos: ""And the reason why you intruded on the estate, we have heard from Haronnesis."" And requesting that they be punished, he said: ""Confess the truth!"" They maintained that they had not cut down the vines. The strategos: ""Where is the chief of police?"" It was pointed out that his brother Imouthes was present, he himself being ill. The strategos to Imouthes: ""Let these two give you security to appear before the most excellent epistrategos when he rules in the case.

Provenance:

Oxyrhynchos, Oxyrhynchite nome, province of Egypt

Acquisition:

Purchased through British Museum 1928. (Inv. 540 bought from natives of Behnasa 2.3.1928.)

Acquisition year:

–

Editions

• Eitrem S-Amundsen L, P.Oslo II, 1931, 17
  ▾ Corrections:

  • Schmidt K, Gött.Gel.Anz. 194 (1932) 280 (l.8,10)P.Oslo III (1936) 274 (l. 8,9,12f.)
• Tomsin A, PapChoix, 1968, 7

Further Literature

Winter, J.G. Life and letters in the papyri. 1933, p.112-113.Hagedorn U, BASP 16 (1979) 64-64.Kelly B, Petitions, litigation, and social control in Roman Egypt, Oxford 2011. p. 100 n.106, 103, 107 n. 136, 117, 162 n. 190, 183, 291