OPES – Oslo Papyri Electronic System

Background and Physical Properties

Material:

Papyrus

Connections:

–

Size:

7.1 x 7.1 cm

Lines:

8

Publication side:

Recto (Verso: blank)

Palaeographic description:

Two cursive hands from the Roman period. The first (ll. 1-4) is quickly penned and sloping to the right. It presents sequences of closely interconnected letters, but implements a kind of word division. The second (ll. 5-8) is written more carefully and with rounded upright letters that are better spaced out.

State of preservation:

A well-preserved square fragment of light brown papyrus. The top (1.1 cm) and bottom (2.0 cm) margins are intact. No left and minimal right margin. No apparent kollesis.

Content

Date:

July 141 CE

Origin:

Tebtynis, meris of Polemon, Arsinoite nome, province of Egypt

Language:

Greek

Genre:

Documentary

Author:

Protas, son of Kronion

Title / Type of text:

Penthemeros certificate

Content:

The document certifies that Protas, son of Kronion son of Iskhyrion, and of Taorsenouphis, has completed his seven-day corvée (23 – 29 July 141 CE) on the embankments of the Chomeniake canal near Tebtynis. Note that this corvée was two days longer than the usual five.

Subjects:

Certificate Penthemeros Corvee Embankment Dike

Named people:

Protas Kronon Iskhyrion Taorsenouphis

Named places:

Tebtynis Chomeniake Dioryx

English translation:

(Hand 1) In the fourth year of Imperator Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius. Has performed the seven-day embankment corvée in the said fourth year, according to the requirements:, (hand 2) (from the) 29th of Epeiph (to the) fifth of Mesore, in the Chomeniake canal, on behalf of Tebtynis. Protas, son of Kronion son of Ischyrion, his mother being Taorsenouphis.

Provenance:

According to M. Nahman, Tebtynis (mod. Umm el-Baragat), Egypt

Acquisition:

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

Acquisition year:

1929

Editions

• Eliassen, Martha H. de Kat, Symbolae Osloenses, vol. 40, 1965, p. 45
  SB: VIII 9924

Further Literature

Catalogues

TM 14301 / DDbDP / HGV / Grammateus

Discussions

• Sijpesteijn, P. J. (1964). Penthemeros-Certificates in Graeco-Roman Egypt [= Pap.Lugd.Bat. XII]. Brill.
  • Suggests Πρωτᾶς Κρονῶς Ἰσχυρ( ) μητρὸς Ταορσενούφεως ll. 7-8; see p. 65, n. 188.
  • The other suggested reading of Πρωτᾶς Κρονίωνος τοῦ Κρ(ονίωνος) l. 7 is impossible (autopsy on 02.09.2024 DG; BL VI, 161).
• Litinas, N. (2007). Habent sua fata fragmenta: “Donum Borgianum”. In B. Palme (Ed.), Akten des 23. Internationalen Papyrologenkongresses. Wien, 22.–28. Juli 2001 (pp. 399-405). Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. On the Χομηνιακὴ διῶρυξ, attested also in the Lisbon fragment [= inv. MS A[zul] 1725] of the Charta Borgiana; see p. 403 commentary to ll. 7-8.
• Petzold, K. (2019). Die großen Taten der kleinen Leute im Alten Rom. Franz Steiner. On deviations from standard formulas in penthemeros certificates; see p. 142 n. 59.
• Σούρλας, Η. (2023). Συντομογραφίες και Σύμβολα στους Αρχαίους Ελληνικούς Παπύρους: Από την πρώιμη Πτολεμαϊκή εποχή έως το τέλος της Ρωμαϊκής περιόδου [Doctoral dissertation, University of Athens]. Pergamos Database. https://pergamos.lib.uoa.gr/uoa/dl/object/3266988. On symbols and abbreviations in documentary papyri; on Αἰλίο(υ) l.2, see pp. 192; ἀκο(λούθως) l. 4, see p. 193; Ἰσχυρί(ωνος) l. 7, see p. 305; Ταορσενο(ύφιος) l. 8, see p. 440; διώ(ρυγι) l. 5, see p. 471.