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ARTEFACT IDENTIFIERS

Artefact ID1650
TM IDTM 33667
Findspot (DEChriM ID)28   (al-Bahnasā)
ClassTextual
MaterialPapyrus
Writing mediumSheet/roll
Text contentDocumentary
LanguageGreek
Description

P.Oxy. XIV 1683, P.Oxy. 14 1683: Letter from Probus to his sister Manatine 
The request at the center of this letter (28.5 x 12 cm) between siblings is related to money: after well-wishes (εὔχομαι τῷ κυρίῳ θεῷ, line 4-5), Probus asks Manatine to collect 1 1/2 talents of his salary from Petronius. Interesting is the phrase ἔχωμεν μάρτυρων ε[ἰ] μὴ ὁ θε[ὸ]ς καὶ σὺ καὶ ἡ γυνή μου (line 13-14, “no witnesses but God, you and my wife”), before Probus tells Manatine μὴ λυπήσις οὖν ἐμεναν (“do not annoy me”, line 16-17) and give his wife the money, since his son needs it. As an explanation for his distrust in her reliability, he reminds his sister of a previous event, where she had refused to give him his money she was in possession of. The verso contains the address.

Selection criteriaChristian terms/formulas/concepts
Date from375
Date to399
Dating criteria

Palaeography

Absolute/relative dateRelative date
Archaeological context

Found in al-Bahnasā (Oxyrhynchos) during the excavations of Bernard Grenfell and Arthur S. Hunt between 1896 and 1907. 27 Oxyrhynchus Papyri (inv. no. 49-75) were acquired by Ghent in October 1922, thanks to Paul Bergmans and Joseph Bidez, for £20 (see Bogaert 1970).

Accession number

Ghent, University Pap. 69

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Editio princeps
• Grenfell, Bernard P. and Arthur S. Hunt. 1920. The Oxyrhynchus Papyri. Part XIV (P. Oxy. XIV). London: Egypt Exploration Fund. 144-145, No. 1683.

Additional bibliography
• Bogaert, Raymond. 1970. “De Papyrusverzameling Van De Bibliotheek Der Rijksuniversiteit Te Gent”, In ANAMNHCIC: gedenkboek Prof. Dr. E.A. Leemans. Brugge: “De Tempel”. 107-125: 113-114, 121 [Plate 1]. No. 8.
• Ghedini, Giuseppe. 1923. Lettere Cristiane dai Papiri Greci del III e IV Secolo. Milano: Presso l'amministrazione di Aegyptus e la società editrice Vita e Pensiero. 249-253, No. 39.
• Kapsomenakis, Stylianos G. 1938. Voruntersuchungen zu einer Grammatik der Papyri der nachchristlichen Zeit. Münchener Beiträge zur Papyrusforschung und Antiken Rechtsgeschichte 28. Munich: C. H. Beck. 72n3.

• Naldini, Mario. 1968. Il Cristianesimo in Egitto. Lettere private nei papiri dei secoli II-IV. Firenze: Le Monnier. 271-274, No. 65.

Authors
Victoria G. D. Landau, 2023
Suggested citation
Victoria G. D. Landau, 2023, "Artefact ID 1650", 4CARE database - Fourth-Century Christian Archaeological Record of Egypt, https://4care-skos.mf.no/artefacts/1650
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