letter

letter Publius Ostorius Scapula APIS michigan.apis.1505 (MiU)1505 sb.16.12835 0239;16;12835 sb;16;12835 14678 14678 P.Mich.inv. 1674

this letter contains an original of a directive emanating from the office of the prefect. In this letter the prefect asks someone, whom he adressess as 'brother' (l. 8) and to whom he extends the bureaucratic courtesy of reciprocity (l. 9), to investigate Isidoros' claim of being from the Memphite nome (ll. 4-5). Scapula further delegates to the recipient of this letter the task of informing Tryphon that he is no longer to trouble Isidoros and is to return the cheirographia which Tryphon's agents took, should Isidoros' claims prove valid (l. 4-7).

Location: Ann Arbor Pub. status: Recto; Verso is blank Archive of the strategos Tryphon concerning his dispute with Isidoros, son of Isidoros, of Psophthis Greek 1 papyrus ; 18 x 11 cm. Several lines are missing in lacuna at the top of the letter; the address, opening courtesies, and prefatory remarks about the case of Isidoros might be expected. The right margin is otherwise intact, because the letter was folded for dispatch from right to left for eight folds, thus protecting the text within from right margin up to a distance of about eight letters from the beginning or writing at left. This left-hand margin, plus the first eight letters of text, suffered severely from exposure; in the majority of lines these eight letters are at best partially preserved and at worst totally lost. In all likelihood, the address which would have appeared on verso at this point on the exposed outside fold was apparently also destroyed, since now the verso appears blank. 1-10 Source of description: Recto

The first hand of this text (m. 1) is written in an elegant and upright cursive, similar to that in inv. 1436 and 1440. At the same time, letters are bound together in ligature far more frequently in inv. 1674 and the attractive rounding of epsilon, theta, and omicron is here contracted, no doubt to enable the prefect's scribe to write with greater speed. The prefect (2nd hd.) adds his greeting in his own hand, as well as the date. Although he writes in a hand similar to that of his scribe, the differences in hands are best seen in the writing of cheir, in cheirographian of line 7 by m. 1, and directly below in Mecheir of line 10 by 2nd hd. As the darkness of the ink with which the prefect begins his greeting [e]rroso suggests, the prefect dipped his pen before beginning this final line of the document and then he completes the line with that same supply of ink, ever lighter as he approaches the right margin.

February 16, 6 A.D. Philadelphia, Herakleidou meris, Arsinoite nome, province of Egypt Livia Tryphon Caesar

Philadelphia, Herakleidou meris, Arsinoite nome, province of Egypt (?)

APIS keywords are controlled locally at the institution level. They are not necessarily consistent. English Greek Philadelphia Evidence, Documentary--Egypt--Philadelphia (Extinct city) Sowing--Egypt--Philadelphia (Extinct city) Harassment--Egypt--Philadelphia (Extinct city) Letters. Papyrus documentary

". . . he (Isidoros) was compelled to present a cheirographia concerning sowing at the village of Philadelphia five and one-half arouras from the revenue-estate of Livia. I aks that you, when you ascertain if the matter is so in regard to his being from the Memphite (nome), write to Tryphon to preserve him unharassed and to give back to him his cheirographia which they took. Do everything, brother, so that he he will quite soon come to an understanding with me, and you too turn over to my office whatever matters you wish. (2nd hd.) Farewell. Year 39 of Caesar Mecheir 22.

Hanson AE, BASP 21, 84-6, 1984, Photo -- SB XVI 12835 -- BL IX, 293; BL X, 216 (bibliography; l. 10); BL XI, 221 SB.:16:12835

Original record.

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