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E02130: Greek order from Oxyrhynchos (Middle Egypt) for the supply of wine to widows of the church 'of Ptoleminos', named after the founder of the institution, datable to the 5th/6th century.

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posted on 2016-12-15, 00:00 authored by gschenke
P.Oxy. 67 4621

Βίκτορι οἰνοπράτῃ.
δὸς ταῖς χήρ(αις) ἐκκλ(ησίας) Πτολεμίνου
οἴν(ου) δι(πλᾶ) ε μ(όνα). Μεσορὴ ιϛ, ἰνδ(ικτίωνος) ε
ἀρχ(ῇ) ϛ.

'To Victor, wine-merchant. Give to the widows of the church of Ptoleminos 5 double jars of wine only. Mesore 16, indiction 5, beginning of the 6th.’


Text and translation: N. Gonis

A full record of this document, complete with image is available at:
http://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.oxy;67;4621

History

Evidence ID

E02130

Saint Name

Anonymous saints : S00518

Related Saint Records

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Other private document

Language

  • Greek

Evidence not before

400

Evidence not after

599

Activity not before

400

Activity not after

599

Place of Evidence - Region

Egypt and Cyrenaica

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Oxyrhynchos

Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)

Oxyrhynchos Hermopolis ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ Ashmunein Hermopolis

Cult activities - Places

Cult building - independent (church)

Cult activities - Non Liturgical Practices and Customs

Distribution of alms

Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Women

Source

The papyrus P.Oxy. 67 4621 is located at Oxford, Sackler Library, Papyrology Rooms, 31B.79/F(1–3)a. The document is dated on palaeographical grounds.

Discussion

Very similar documents are E02310, E02311 and E02312, all written by the same scribe and on the same day as our document, and addressed to the same wine-merchant (and E02126, by the same scribe and to the same wine-merchant, but on a different day), all ordering wines for charitable distribution to the widows of individual churches. The name Ptoleminos is well attested in Oxyrhynchos, but so far not associated with a saint. The lack of the term hagios prior to the name suggests that Ptoleminos was not a saint, but the founder of the church. We have included this document in our database, because it is so clearly part of a set (the others of which were associated with saints); and as a reminder that not all late antique churches were named after saints.

Bibliography

Edition: Gonis, N., "P.Oxy. 67 4621. Order to Supply Wine," in: R.A. Coles (ed.), The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, vol. LXVII (London, 2001), 253–254.

Usage metrics

    Evidence - The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

    Categories

    Keywords

    S00518History

    Licence

    CC0

    Exports

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