E02307: Greek oracle question from Oxyrhynchos (Middle Egypt) addressing *Philoxenos (saint with cult in Oxyrhynchos, S00443), datable to the 6th century.

P.Oxy. 16 1926

This oracle question approaches the saint with a business/ethical problem to solve.

+ Δέσποτά μου θεὲ παντοκράτωρ, καὶ ἅγι(ε)
Φιλόξενε πρόστατά μου, παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς
διὰ τὸ μέγα ὄνομ(α) τοῦ δεσπότου θεοῦ, ἐὰν οὐκ ἔστιν
θέλημα ὑμῶν μὴ λαλῆσαί με μηδὲ περὶ τραπέζ(ης ?) μηδὲ
περὶ ζυγοστασίας, παρακελεῦσαί με μαθεῖν, ἵνα μὴ λαλήσω. +

'O my Lord God Almighty and St. Philoxenus my patron, I beseech you by the great name of the Lord God, if it is not your will that I speak either about the bank or about the weighing-office, to bid me learn this, in order that I may not speak.'

(Text and trans.: B. P. Grenfell, A. S. Hunt, and H. I. Bell)


'My Lord God Almighty and St. Philoxenos my patron, I beseech you through the great name of the Lord God, if it is not your will for me to speak about the bank or about the weighing office, direct me to find out that I may not speak.'

(Trans.: M. Meyer)


Its counterpart reads as follows:

P.Harris 54:

+ Δέσποτά μου θεὲ παντοκράτωρ, καὶ ἅγιε
Φιλόξενε πρόστατά μου, παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς
διὰ τὸ μέγα ὄνομ(α) τοῦ δεσπότου θεοῦ, ἐὰν θέλημα
ὑμῶν ἐστιν καὶ συνέρχεσθέ μοι λαβεῖν τὴν τραπεζῖτιν,
παρακαλῶ κελεῦσαί μοι μαθεῖν καὶ λαλῆσαι +

'O my Lord God Almighty and St. Philoxenus my patron, I beseech you by the great name of the Lord God, if it is your will and you are helping me to take the banking-business, I beseech you to bid me learn this, and speak.'

(Text and trans.: J. E. Powell/H. C. Youtie)