OPES – Oslo Papyri Electronic System

Background and Physical Properties

Material:

Papyrus

Connections:

–

Size:

25 x 11.5 cm.

Lines:

Recto - col.I - 10, col.II - 29

Publication side:

Recto, Verso not published

Palaeographic description:

Possibly four different scribes. Col. I: Rapid cursive hand of the 2nd century A.D. Col.II, l.1, hand of the registrar , ll.2-27 rapid cursive hand of the 2nd century A.D. l.28: the subscriber's hand, l. 29 a fourth hand, possibly the hand of the registrar (cf. l.1)

State of preservation:

Parts of two apographai from a composite roll: col. I only the ends of 10 lines - col. II almost complete

Content

Date:

132/133 A.D.

Origin:

Herakleopolis, Herakleopolite nome, province of Egypt

Language:

Greek

Genre:

Documentary

Author:

Semtheus

Title / Type of text:

Census return

Content:

Declaration from Semtheus, son of Hephaistas

Subjects:

Administration economy demography

Named people:

Polydeukes, grammateus Semtheus, son of Hephaistas and Nemesous Hephaistas, son of Panasis and father of Semtheus Nemesous, daughter of Herakleios and mother of Semtheus: Herakleios, father of Nemesous Flavius Titianus, prefect of Egypt Caesar Traianus Hadrianus Augustus, emperor

Named places:

Herakleopolis Herakleopolite nome Areiou amphodarchia Arpsentesis

English translation:

(Col. I is too fragmented to be translated) Col II: 392. To Polydeukes, secretary in the metropolis and the harbour, from Semtheus, son of Hephaistas, son of Panasis, and the mother being Nemesous, daughter of Herakleios, who is one of the inhabitants of Herakleopolis, and registered in the formerly called amphodarchy of Areios. I register myself for the 16th year of our Lord Hadrianus Caesar in accordance with the instructions given by Flavius Titianus, the most excellent prefect, for the part I have of a house close to Arpsentesis: I am Semtheus, inhabitant, 39 years old and I swear by the Fortuna of Imperator Caesar Traianus Hadrianus Augustus and the god Herakles in health and truth that I have delivered this declaration and that I have not lied or given an incomplete picture or left out anyone who ought to have been declared by me - otherwise I would have been responsible according to the oath. In the 17th year of the emperor Caesar Traianus Hadrianus Augustus.

Provenance:

Probably Herakleopolis, Herakleopolite nome, province of Egypt

Acquisition:

Purchased through British Museum, Egypt 1923. Cf. the reports and inventory list written by H.I.Bell

Acquisition year:

–

Editions

• Eitrem S-Amundsen L, P.Oslo III, 1936, 98, picture: Pl. IV
  ▾ Corrections:

  • Eitrem/Amundsen, P.Oslo III, p. 278 (l. 14, 24)Hombert/Préaux, P.L.Bat V (1952), p. 85,n.3 (a signature should be added)Hagedorn-Sijpesteijn, ZPE 65 (1986), p. 102 (l. 17)Bagnall/Friar, Demography of Egypt (1994), p. 317 (l.13, 24)

Further Literature

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