OPES – Oslo Papyri Electronic System

Background and Physical Properties

Material:

Papyrus

Connections:

–

Size:

12.8 x 17.3 cm.

Lines:

14

Publication side:

Recto

Palaeographic description:

Three hands: first hand, ll. 1-11, second hand, l. 12, third hand, ll. 13-14. Greek cursive of the Roman period. The third hand is quick and fluent and tends to extend the traits of some letters

State of preservation:

Light brown colour. Left and right sides broken. Preserved but frayed lower edge. Upper margin is 1.2 cm., lower margin, 2.7 cm. Some holes. 4 vertical folds, all damaged to a greater or lesser degree, at 2.3, 4.7, 7.4 and 10.2 cm. from the right edge. Black ink, faded at places.

Content

Date:

October 1?, 149 CE

Origin:

Alexandria?, Egypt (written in); Arsinoite nome, Egypt (destination)

Language:

Greek

Genre:

Documentary

Author:

Unknown

Title / Type of text:

Copy of an official letter concerning exemption of a cavalryman from epikephalia / Document

Content:

Copy of an official letter from Aurelius Petronius to the royal scribe of the division of Herakleides, Arsinoite nome, asking that the cavalryman Achillas be exempted from paying the epikephalia

Subjects:

Letter Cavalryman Army service Poll tax Exemption Royal scribe Prefect's office Ala Vocontiorum Capitation tax Epikephalia Epikephalaia

Named people:

Aurelius Petronius Diophantos royal scribe of the division of Herakleides Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius, emperor Tamestremphis Rhapalion? Achillas son of Harpokrates? former name Oronnous son of Rhapalion? son of Tamestremphis Oronnous

Named places:

Division of Herakleides Arsinoite nome Syngna?

English translation:

Aurelius Petronius (...) to Diophantos, royal scribe of the division of Herakleides in the Arsinoite nome, greeting. Achillas, son of Harpokrates, cavalryman of the Ala Vocontiorum, before his military service called Oronnous, Rhapalion's son, his mother being Tamestremphis, from the village of Syngna (?), has proved to have served for more than twenty-five years. Therefore it is suitable that you should give a written order that in accordance with the grant of the greatest Emperor he is exempted from paying epikephalaia. (2nd hand) Farewell. (3rd hand) The 13th year of Imperator Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius, the 4th of Phaophi. (translation by M. H. Eliassen in the ed. pr.)

Provenance:

Cairo, Egypt

Acquisition:

Purchased by Samson Eitrem from Maurice Nahman.

Acquisition year:

1936

Editions

• Eliassen, M. H., Proceedings of the XVI Int. Congr. of Papyrology (Chico 1981), 1981, 329-333
  SB: XVI 12508

Further Literature

Catalogues

TM 16257

Translations

• Campbell, B. (1994). The Roman Army, 31 B.C.- A.D. 337: A Sourcebook (p. 207, no. 338). London-New York: Routledge. (English)

Discussions

• Link, S. (1989). Konzepte der Privilegierung römischer Veteranen (pp. 95-97).
• Wolff, H. (1986). "Die Entwicklung der Veteranenprivilegien vom Beginn des 1. Jahrhunderts v. Chr. bis auf Konstantin d. Gr." (pp. 102 and 107). In Eck, W. and Wolff, H. (eds.). Heer und Integrationspolitik: Die römischen Militärdiplome als historische Quelle. Passauer Historische Forschungen, 2. Wien.
• Richter, M. (1991). "Bemerkungen zu SB XVI" (p. 252). ZPE, 86, pp. 251-258. (See BL IX, no. 12508, p. 285).
• Mirkovic, M. (1994). "Roman Military Diplomas, Epistulae and Papyrological Evidence" (pp. 452-455). In Proceedings of the 20th International Congress of Papyrologists. Copenhagen, 23-29 August, 1992. University of Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press.
• El-Mosallamy, A. H. (1994). "Upon Veterans' Exemption from Epikephalia" (pp. 456-462). In Proceedings of the 20th International Congress of Papyrologists. Copenhagen, 23-29 August, 1992. University of Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press.
• Alston, R. (1995). Soldier and Society in Roman Egypt: A Social History (p. 171). London-New York: Routledge.
• 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): Bd. 2 (p​p. 635-641). München-Leipzig: Saur.