4care-artefacts – 4care

4CARE-ARTEFACTS

ARTEFACT IDENTIFIERS

Artefact ID	1619
TM ID	TM 31129
Findspot (DEChriM ID)	28 (al-Bahnasā)
Class	Textual
Material	Papyrus
Writing medium	Sheet/roll
Text content	Documentary
Language	Greek
Description	P.Oxy. LIX 3997, P.Oxy. 59 3997: Letter from Herakles to Kerdon This damaged sheet (11.5 x 20.5 cm) contains a letter from Herakles to his friend Kerdon, whom he addresses as ἀδελφός. Herakles feels neglected, having received only a single letter while he himself has sent Kerdon several, and regularly inquires with friends, such as Kranas (?), about his health. He prays for the safe return of Kerdon and his daughter Taphynchis, and uses the singular term for θέος when describing the προκύνημα (obeisance?) he does daily for Kerdon. The writer used all available space: After the farewell formula, he writes along the left margin, before continuing on the verso with another greeting and another farewell formula. He relays greetings from Kopres, son of Ammonios, Topastas, Aphos, Ammonos and Helena, and asks Kerdon to greet Ammonios, Heras, Chenamon and the man who reads him the letter. σάγγαθον is mentioned twice, identified as an “unknown vegetable substance” by the ed.pr.
Selection criteria	Christian terms/formulas/concepts
Date from	200
Date to	399
Dating criteria	Palaeography and phraseology.
Absolute/relative date	Relative date
Archaeological context	Found in al-Bahnasā (Oxyrhynchos) during the excavations of Bernard Grenfell and Arthur S. Hunt between 1896 and 1907.
Accession number	Oxford, Sackler Library, Papyrology Rooms P. Oxy. 3997

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Editio princeps
• Ioannidou, H. Grace. 1992. The Oxyrhynchus Papyri. Vol. LIX (P. Oxy. LIX), edited by Eric W. Handley, H. Grace Ioannidou, Peter J. Parsons and John E. G. Whitehorne. Graeco-Roman Memoirs 79. London: Egypt Exploration Society. 141-145, No. 3997.

Additional bibliography
• Worp, Klaas A. 2004. “Towns Quarters in Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Early Arab Egypt.” In Papyrology and the History of early Islamic Egypt, edited by Petra M. Sijpesteijn and Lennart Sundelin. Leiden/Boston: Brill. 227-248: 232.

Authors

Victoria G. D. Landau, 2023

Suggested citation

Victoria G. D. Landau, 2023, "Artefact ID 1619", 4CARE database - Fourth-Century Christian Archaeological Record of Egypt, https://4care-skos.mf.no/artefacts/1619

Json data

External links

TM 31129 DDbDP (PN) HGV Oxyrhynchus Online (Image Database) Oxyrhynchus Papyri (University of Oxford – Online Resource)

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