OPES – Oslo Papyri Electronic System

Background and Physical Properties

Material:

Papyrus

Connections:

–

Size:

16.4 x 6.5 cm.

Lines:

Recto - 10; Verso - 1

Publication side:

Recto, the sender on the Verso

Palaeographic description:

–

State of preservation:

Dark brown papyrus. The top part is missing, clean cut at the right side.

Content

Date:

3rd century A.D.

Origin:

Unknown place, province of Egypt

Language:

Greek

Genre:

Documentary

Author:

–

Title / Type of text:

Letter

Content:

The writer has been advised or commanded by the addressee to sell cereals or crops and wine on the market, but there is no customer willing to buy at the high price demanded by the seller.

Subjects:

Crops Wine Prices

Named people:

–

Named places:

–

English translation:

....... grass-seed (?) is sold at 86 drachmae per artaba, but I purchased it at 60 drachmae per artaba, and as you instructed me about the price of wine 'Sell at 9 drachmae pr. keramion - since not a single person is buying now', I sold 75 keramia up to the summer for the price of a thousand drachmae per 100 keramia, as you told me. If you want to send for the slave who was found in the country, do so as I expect him to run away. I wish you health.Verso: from X] phrontistes/manager

Provenance:

Unknown place, province of Egypt

Acquisition:

Purchased by Eitrem in Egypt 1920

Acquisition year:

–

Editions

• Eitrem S-Amundsen L, P.Oslo II, 1931, 63
  ▾ Corrections:

  • Drexhage HJ, Münst.Beitr.ant.Handelsgesch. 6/2 (1987) 37-38 (dating)Rathbone DW, Economie antique, p.229 (refutes Drexhage's dating)

Further Literature

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