OPES – Oslo Papyri Electronic System

Background and Physical Properties

Material:

Papyrus

Connections:

–

Size:

24.8 x 12.0 cm [H x W]

Lines:

14

Publication side:

Recto (Verso: P.Oslo inv. 1023v/SB Χ 10724)

Palaeographic description:

Three hands. Hand 1 wrote the main text (ll. 2-10) in a large, well-formed and upright semi-cursive from the later Roman period, combining the ‘Subatianus Aquila’ chancery style with cursive forms. Hand 2 (ll. 10-14) is a smaller and quickly penned cursive. Hand 3 (l. 1) wrote in small, rightward slanted cursive letters.

State of preservation:

Medium brown papyrus showing substantial damage in a scattered pattern. The top four lines are the best preserved. Two larger regions are missing: one long and narrow, irregularly shaped area (ca. 2 x 11 cm) that runs vertically along the height of the papyrus and to the left of the midline, covering lines 5-14; one mostly square area (ca. 4.5 x 4.5 cm) at the bottom left. The entirety of the top (2 cm) and bottom margins (8 cm) appears to be preserved. The left and right edges and margins have been cut along mostly straight vertical lines when the sheet was cut to size to receive the letter on the back. As a result, line beginnings and ends are missing 2-4 and 3-5 letters, respectively. The beginnings and ends of lines 12-14, which are written in a smaller and more cramped hand, appear to be missing about 4 and 13-14 letters, respectively. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------No apparent kollesis. The presence of fold lines is difficult to assess. Two spots of red ink on the right edge of l. 13. There are traces of red ink in several places on the recto and the verso, most conspicuously at the mid-top edge of the verso (half of a small stamp?).

Content

Date:

3 May 214 CE (date of letter) / 24 June 214 CE (reveived?)

Origin:

Memphite nome, province of Egypt

Language:

Greek

Genre:

Documentary

Author:

Dioscorus alias Xenon, royal scribe of Memphite

Title / Type of text:

Letter concerning the 5 days' corvée / Official Letter

Content:

Two interpretations have been offered: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eliassen (1960) and Sijpesteijn (1983), reading ἐπιλυθέντας l. 5, believe it is a cover letter written by a royal scribe, and intended for a local official (possibly a κωμογραμματεύς), to which has been added a list of people that the royal scribe has exempted from the so-called penthemeros corvée. They differ in whether the document should be seen as proof of the penthemeros corvée occurring outside of the Fayum region (pro Eliassen, contra Sijpesteijn). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the other hand, Hagedorn (1988), reading ἐπιδοθείσας l. 5 and comparing with SB XVI 11647, believes it is a cover letter to which were attached comprehensive reports from local officials on levee and canal work done during 5 days of the month of Pharmouthi 214 CE (see also Kruse 2002, pp. 317-319 for further support; autopsy (04/14/2025, DG) makes this reading most likely).

Subjects:

Administration Royal scribe Maintenance work Canal Embankment Dike Penthemeros

Named people:

Dioscorus alias Xenon Aurelius Arrianus

Named places:

Memphite nome

English translation:

(hand 3) (Received?) Year 22, Pauni 30 (= 24 June 214 CE). (hand 1) Dioskoros, also called Xenon, royal scribe of the Memphite (nome), to [my dearest] Aurelius Arrianus, greetings. (The names of) those who have been exempt by me from the five days’ (penthêmeros) corvée (consisting in) levee and canal work in the month of [Pharmouth]i of the current 22nd year of (our) Lord Emperor Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus Pius Augustus, [you shall receive from] me. I write (to you) so that you are made aware (of this). (hand 2) [I pray] that you are well, [my dearest.] Year 22 of Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius [Severus] Antoninus Parthicus Max[imus] Britannicus Maxi[mus Germanicus Maxi]mus Pius Augustus, (month of) Pachon 8 (= 3 May 214 CE). (transl. based on SB XVI 12989) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (hand 3) Year 22, Pauni 30 (= 24 June 214 CE). (hand 1) Dioskoros, also called Xenon, royal scribe of the Memphite (nome), to [the most excellent] Aurelius Arrianus, greetings. The (reports) that were handed to me (covering) five days of levee and canal work in the month of [Pharmouth]i of the current 22nd year of (our? master) Emperor Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus Pius Augustus, I have sent to you, my lord, and write (you now) so that you are made aware (of this). (hand 2) [I pray] that you are well, [my lord.] Year 22 of Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius [Severus] Antoninus Parthicus Max[imus] Britannicus Maxi[mus Germanicus Maxi]mus Pius Augustus, (month of) Pakhon 8 (= 3 May 214 CE). (transl. based on D. Hagedorn’s (1988) interpretation)

Provenance:

Fayum, province of Egypt

Acquisition:

Purchased by Leiv Amundsen from Maurice Nahman in Cairo, Feb. 18, 1929.

Acquisition year:

1929

Editions

• Eliassen, M., Symbolae Osloenses 36, 1960, pp. 45-46
  SB: VI 9626
• Sijpesteijn, P. J., Symbolae Osloenses 58, 1983, pp. 129-132
  SB: XVI 12989

Further Literature

Catalogues

DDbDP / TM 16335 / HGV / BL-Online

Discussions

• Sijpesteijn, P. J. (1964). Penthemeros-Certificates in Graeco-Roman Egypt [= Pap.Lugd.Bat. XII]. Brill. Questions whether this administrative letter offers proof of the penthêmeros corvée occuring outside of the Fayum; see pp. 1-2.
• Préaux, C. (1964). [Review of the monograph Penthemeros-certificates in Graeco-Roman Egypt, by P. J. Sijpesteijn]. Chronique d’Égypte, 39(78), 220–224. Recommends (contra Sijpesteijn) against minimizing the importance of papyri from outside the Fayum; see p. 221.
• de Kat-Eliassen, Martha H. (1965). Six Documents Concerning Penthemeros from the Oslo Papyrus Collection. Symbolae Osloenses, 40, 39–48.
  • On the exceptional attestation of penthêmeros corvée outside of the Fayum in SB XVI 12989 and P.Giss. I 64; see p. 39–40.
  • Corrects παραδέχου to παραδέξει l. 9; see p. 48 [= BL V 118].
• Foraboschi, D. (1970). Adaeratio della corvée alle dighe, nell’Egitto romano? ACME: Annali della Facoltà di lettere e filosofia dell’Università degli studi di Milano, 23(1-2), 123–130. Includes SB VI 9626 = XVI 12989 as evidence for the practice of corvée outside of the Fayum; see p. 125.
• Parassoglou, G. M. (1971). Four Papyri from the Yale Collection. The American Journal of Philology, 92(4), 652–666. https://doi.org/10.2307/292669. Edition of SB XIV 11647; on the rare adjective διωρυχικός l. 6; see p. 666 commentary on l. 4.
• de Kat-Eliassen, Martha H. (1979). Substitution of Strategus and Royal Scribe in the Roman Period. In J. Bingen and G. Nachtergael, Actes du XVe Congrès International de Papyrologie, Bruxelles - Louvain, 29 août - 3 septembre 1977 (pp. 116–123). Fondation Égyptologique Reine Élisabeth. Disagrees with Sijpestein 1964, believing it likely that the penthêmeros did take place in the Memphite nome [= BL VIII 386].
• Peachin, M. (1982). Dike Work in the Oxyrhynchite Nome. The Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists, 19(3/4), 159–166. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24518919. On penthemeral reports of naubion corvée seen distinctly from the specifically Arsinoitan institution of penthêmeros corvée; see p. 160 w/ n. 5.
• Hagedorn, D. (1988). Keine Befreiung von der Penthemeros: Eine Bemerkung zu SB VI 9626 = SB XVI 12989. Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, 73, 201–203. Gives several corrections (to ll. 3, 5, 6-7, 7, 9-10, 10f.), in particular ἐπιδοθείσας for ἐπιλυθέντας l. 5, and a new interpretation of the papyrus, adducing SB XIV 11647 as comparandum [= BL IX 295].
• Bonneau, D. (1993). Le régime administratif de l'eau du Nil dans l'Égypte grecque, romaine et byzantine. Brill.
  • On the adjectives διωρυχικός and χωματικός l. 5; see p. 16 w/ n. 109
  • On levee and canal maintenance work; see p. 265 n. 179.
• Meckler, M. (1995). Two Papyri and Events in the Life of Caracalla. Zeitschrift Für Papyrologie Und Epigraphik, 105, 257–259. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20189282. On the addition of Γερμανικὸς μέγιστος in the titulature of Caracalla; see p. 259 w/ n. 14.
• Kruse, T. (2002). Der Königliche Schreiber und die Gauverwaltung: Untersuchungen zur Verwaltungsgeschichte Ägyptens in der Zeit von Augustus bis Philippus Arabs (30 v. Chr.-245 n. Chr.) [Vol. 1]. K. G. Saur Verlag. Following Hagedorn (1988), relates SB XVI 12989 to other five days-reports drawn up by embankment overseers, and to the πενθήμεροι λόγοι, regular income reports sent by tax superintendents (ἐπιτηρηταί) to the royal scribe; see pp. 317–319.