OPES – Oslo Papyri Electronic System

Background and Physical Properties

Material:

Papyrus

Connections:

–

Size:

11.5 x 19.3 cm.

Lines:

Recto: 1-28;Verso: 29-37 + adress

Publication side:

Recto and Verso

Palaeographic description:

–

State of preservation:

Medium brown papyrus. Most of top margin is missing, Left margin is 1 cm. The end of the first 4 lines is lost, as is the end of lines 25-28 One or two lines are lost between lines 28 (recto) and line 29 (verso)

Content

Date:

ca. 370 A.D.

Origin:

Probably Oxyrhynchos, Oxyrhynchite nome, province of Egypt

Language:

Greek

Genre:

Documentary

Author:

–

Title / Type of text:

Letter concerning the collection of taxes

Content:

Letter from a higher tax official to a lower tax collector, expressing dissatisfaction with the collector's work. It concerns wine tax, linen tax, and tax on grain export to Constantinople.

Subjects:

Letter Tax Wine Linen Grain Collector

Named people:

Eudoros Ptoleminos Komasios

Named places:

Konstantinopolis Pelousion, Oxyrhynchite nome

English translation:

[...........] Whoever sets out (...) shall above all demand the old wine. And I have written to you several times about the collection of the rest and wondered whether there is any progress or not. Security will certainly be taken by seizing the linen unless it is delivered today or tomorrow, and the linen weavers will be thrown out. And as for (the grain export) to Constantinople, you have sent neither tax collectors nor money. You shall know that the worker (...) prepared himself. Both his (...) and those who are to sign with him, shall set out with him and the tax collector. You shall collect (...) two thirds for Pelusium (...) one solidus, i.e. 2250 myriads of denari. And as for the grain export - (and you shall know that) the life guard has been questioning a lot - and the grain delivery, you shall see to it that I get the security, and as for the receipt for the grain on Ptoleminos' ship, you shall submit it so that it is being registered. For I have written to you many times about this, but you have not done anything about it. You have neither sent nor written (.....), but hurry up and send the receipt for the linen (...) and don't postpone it. Many times have I written to you about (... 1 or 2 lines are missing) I have written many times to you about (...) of Komasios, 1 myriad denari. He has got the receipt (...). He has supplied the money, and (...) since (...) was insulted (...), he has given security (?). Therefore hurry up and send extraordinarily (...) 1 (?) myriad (denari) to pay the wages of the tax collector and the security guard, but not the (...) collecting.To Eudoros from (...)

Provenance:

Probably Oxyrhynchos, Oxyrhynchite nome, province of Egypt

Acquisition:

Purchased by Eitrem in Egypt 1920

Acquisition year:

–

Editions

• Eitrem S-Amundsen L, P.Oslo III, 1936, 88
  ▾ Corrections:

  • Schmidt KFW, Philologische Wochenschrift 58 (1938) p. 300 (l. 13, 25f.)West LC-Johnson AC, Currency in Roman and Byzantine Egypt , 1944, p.159 (l.19)Amundsen L, P. Panop. Beatty, p.128, note to l. 379 (l. 17)Bagnall RS-Sijpestein J, ZPE 24 (1977) p. 123 (Date)BL 12, p. 132 (place)Drew-Bear M, Le nome Hermopolite, 1979, p 58 (l.13)P.Oxy. 48, 3423, note to l.19-20 (l 25)P.Oxy. 48, p. 76 (l. 38)

Further Literature

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