g u a r a n t e e s t h e presence on his f r u i t f a r m of Aurelius P a m b e c h i u s , colonus on t h e A p i o n e s t a t e .
N o . 2479, f r o m t h e s i x t h c e n t u r y , is a p e t i t i o n f r o m a r u n a w a y colonus t o his p a t r o n ( p r o b a b l y one of t h e A p i o n f a m i l y ) begging t o be r e s t o r e d t o his f a r m w i t h o u t p a y i n g t h e r e n t on t h e l a n d which he h a d n o t tilled d u r i n g h i s absence.
N o . 2480 is a long a c c o u n t for t h e crop of wine, consisting of t h e f i v e kol-l e m a t a of a p a p y r u s rokol-lkol-l, d a t e d p r o b a b kol-l y A . D . 5 6 5 - 6 .
All t h r e e v o l u m e s of t h e O x y r h y n c h u s P a p y r i , are, according t o t h e long t r a d i t i o n , p r o v i d e d w i t h t h e e x h a u s t i n g indices a n d t h e splendid p l a t e s ( t h o u g h o n e could only r e g r e t t h a t t h e y a l m o s t n e v e r show t h e d o c u m e n t s ) . All t h r e e a p p e a r e d in all t h e i r s p l e n d o u r d u r i n g t w o y e a r s 1961 a n d 1962. T h e y m a n i f e s t n o t only t h e i n c o m p a r a b l e skill b u t also t h e i n d e f a t i g a b l e i n d u s t r i o u s n e s s of t h e i r E d i t o r s .
The Archive of Aurelius Isidorus in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, a n d t h e Univ e r s i t y of Michigan ( P . Cair. Isidor.) edited b y A r t h u r E . R . В о а к, H e r -b e r t C h a y y i m Υ o u t i e. A n n A r -b o r , t h e U n i v e r s i t y of Michigan Press, 1960.
T h e papyrological evidence being in general v e r y h a p h a z a r d , t h e m o r e p r e c i o u s are all sets of d o c u m e n t s a n d archives. T h e Archive of Aurelius Isi-d o r u s , is well k n o w n a l r e a Isi-d y f r o m m a n y f r a g m e n t a r y publications, b e g i n n i n g w i t h 1933. W e are still m o r e t h a n k f u l t o t h e E d i t o r s f o r p r e s e n t i n g us n o w w i t h t h e whole of it (including s i x t y t w o d o c u m e n t s reedited a n d e i g h t y seven h i t h e r t o u n p u b l i s h e d ) in t h e new v o l u m e of t h e U n i v e r s i t y of Michigan Press.
T h e I n t r o d u c t i o n (pp. 3-20) t r e a t s in s e p a r a t e c h a p t e r s (I) t h e genealogy of I s i d o r u s a n d his f a m i l y (p. 6) p i c t u r i n g t h e f a m i l y connections of I s i d o r u s ; (II) I s i d o r u s as l a n d h o l d e r a n d t e n a n t ; ( I I I ) liturgies of Isidorus (ten liturgical offices in t h e course of t w e n t y years, 298/9 t o 318/9); t h e E d i t o r s conclude t h a t t h e d o c u m e n t s r e l a t i n g t o I s i d o r u s himself cover t h e y e a r s of his y o u n g m a n h o o d a n d m a t u r i t y f r o m 291 t o 324, b u t t h e y do n o t t r a n s m i t t h e full record of his a c t i v i t é s over t h i s p e r i o d ; t h e y reveal h i m only in his relations w i t h village, n o m e , a n d p r o v i n c i a l a u t h o r i t i e s , in t h e p e r f o r m a n c e of liturgical service, in his d o u b l e role as p r o p r i e t o r a n d t e n a n t , a n d as t h e v i c t i m of aggresion b y m o r e i n f l u e n t i a l villagers. T h e f o u r t h a n d l a s t c h a p t e r of t h e I n t r o d u c t i o n deals w i t h t h e d a t e of t h e revolt of Lucius D o m i t i u s D o m i t i a n u s , w h o w a s recognized a t K a r a n i s a t least f r o m t h e l a s t week of A u g u s t u n t i l N o v e m b e r 23 of t h e s a m e y e a r 2 9 6 ; Lucius D o m i t i u s D o m i t i a n u s , k n o w n f r o m p a p y r i a n d coins, b e i n g n o t identical w i t h t h e corrector Aurelius Achilles, k n o w n f r o m t h e l i t e r a r y sources.
T h e t e x t s b e g i n w i t h t h e d o c u m e n t s r e l a t i n g t o t h e t a x r e f o r m a n d t h e c e n s u s (Nos. 1 - 8 ; N o s . 6 a n d 7 b e i n g p u b l i s h e d h e r e f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e ) . T h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t t e x t i n t h i s s e c t i o n is N o . 1, t h e e d i c t of A r i s t i u s O p t a t u s , p r e f e c t of E g y p t , i s s u e d o n P h a m e n o t h 20, i.e. M a r c h 16, 297 A . D . , p u b l i s h e d f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e i n E t . d e P a p y r . 2 (1934) 1 - 8 a n d o w n i n g a l r e a d y a l a r g e l i t t é r a t u r e c i t e d i n t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n t o t h e p r e s e n t e d i t i o n . T h e p u r p o s e of t h i s edict w a s t o p u b l i s h a n d g i v e e f f e c t t o a n edict p r e v i o u s l y i s s u e d b y D i o c l e t i a n in t h e n a m e of t h e t e t r a r c h s w h i c h i n t r o d u c e d i m p o r t a n t c h a n g e s in t h e t a x e y s t e m of E g y p t , r e m o v i n g t h e a p p o r t i o n m e n t f r o m t h e d i s c r e t i o n of l o c a l officials a n d m a k i n g t h e i n d i v i d u a l q u o t a s d e p e n d d i r e c t l y o n t h e n u m b e r of a r o u r a s of e a c h l a n d h o l d e r , a n d i n t h e s a m e t i m e i m p o s i n g a h e a d t a x of i n v a r i a b l e a m o u n t o n e a c h m a l e villager w h o falls w i t h i n t h e legal age l i m i t s . N o . 2 is a d e c l a r a t i o n of olive t r e e s ( f r o m t h e 1 D e c e m b e r 298 A . D . ) a n d N o s . 3 - 5 — d e c l a r a t i o n s of l a n d f r o m S e p t e m b e r , 299 A . D . , all a d d r e s s e d t o t h e c e n s i t o r J u l i u s S e p t i m u s S a b i n u s a n d s u b m i t t e d i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e edict w h i c h a u t h o r i z e d t h e c e n s u s of 297 A . D . ; in t h e f i r s t t w o t e x t s t h e decla-r a n t b e i n g H e decla-r o i s , m o t h e decla-r of A u decla-r e l i u s I s i d o decla-r u s , i n t h e t w o o t h e decla-r — A u decla-r e l i u s I s i d o r u s h i m s e l f d e c l a r i n g h i s p r o p e r t y in t h e v i l l a g e p r o p e r (No. 4) a n d i n t h e horiodeiktia of K a r a n i s ( N o . 6). N o . 6 is a list of l a n d h o l d e r s of K a r a n i s a n d t h e i r p r o p e r t i e s , r e s t r i c t e d t o t h e l a n d in t h e v i l l a g e a r e a as d i s t i n g u i s h e d f r o m i t s horiodeiktia, c o m p i l e d f r o m t h e r e t u r n s f o r t h e census of S a b i n u s , d a t e d b y i t s c o n t e n t in t h e y e a r s 3 0 0 - 3 0 5 A . D . F o r t h e s a m e census w e r e m a d e also t h e d e c l a r a t i o n s of H e r a c l e s a n d A l e x a n -d e r , sons of H o r i o n , s u m m a r i z e -d in t h e s h o r t t e x t p u b l i s h e -d u n -d e r N o . 7 w h i c h p r e s e n t s a list of t h e i r h o l d i n g s in t h e v i l l a g e of K a r a n i s a n d i t s horiodeiktia. I n c o n t r a s t t o N o s . 2 - 5 , N o . 8 is a d e c l a r a t i o n of p e r s o n s , n o t of l a n d , m a d e b y A u r e l i u s I s i d o r u s o n J u n e 14, 309 A . D . , a n d a d d r e s s e d t o U l p i u s A l e x a n d e r , censitor of t h e H e p t a n o m i a (cf. P . S t r a s s b . 42 = W i l c k e n , C h r e s t . 2 1 0 ) ; t h e n a m e of M a x i m i a n in t h e o f f i c i a l f o r m u l a of d e c l a r a t i o n p r o v e s t h a t h e c o n t i -n u e d t o b e r e c o g -n i z e d as se-nior A u g u s t u s i -n t h e t e r r i t o r y of M a x i m i -n u s D a i a as l a t e as J u n e 309. T h e s e c o n d s e c t i o n c o n t a i n s t h e d o c u m e n t s r e l a t i n g t o t a x a t i o n , N o s . 9—30 p r e s e n t i n g r e p o r t s a n d lists, a n d N o s . 3 1 - 6 1 — r e c e i p t s , t h e f o l l o w i n g t e x t s b e i n g p u b l i s h e d h e r e f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e : N o s . 9, 11 ( p a r t l y ) , 1 4 - 1 7 , 19, 20, 22, 23, 2 5 - 2 8 , 3 0 - 3 3 , 3 5 - 4 4 , 46, 50, 51, 53, 69, 60. N o . 9 is a r e p o r t m a d e b y t h e six sitologoi of t h e v i l l a g e K a r a n i s a n d i t s horiodeiktia, a d d r e s s e d t o t h e praepositus of t h e f i f t h p a g u s of t h e A r s i n o i t e n o m e ; t h e 13 c o l u m n s of t h e r e c t o c o n t a i n s a d e c l a r a t i o n of t h e sitologoi a n d a n i t e m i z e d r e c o r d of w h e a t a n d b a r e l y collected as t a x e s o n t h e h a r v e s t of t h e y e a r 3 0 9 ; t h e c o l u m n o n t h e v e r s o c o n s i s t s of n o t a t i o n s c o n c e r n i n g w h e a t
a n d b a r e l y d e l i v e r e d b y t h e sitologoi t o v a r i o u s g o v e r n m e n t a g e n t s a n d t h e b a l a n c e o n h a n d on N o v e m b e r 30, 309. A d a i l y r e c o r d of c h a f f collected as t a x e s o n t h e h a r v e s t of 3 1 0 / 3 1 1 A . D . o c c u p i e s 11 c o l u m n s p u b l i s h e d u n d e r N o . 10 (one of t h e t w o c h a f f collectors is A u r e l i u s I s i d o r u s son of P t o l o m a e u s ) . N o . 11 is a s u m m a r y r e p o r t of collection a n d s u b s e q u e n t d i s t r i b u t i o n of t a x e s in w h e a t a n d b a r l e y b y t h e sitologoi of K a r a i n s a n d i t s lioriodeiktia f o r t h e y e a r 308/309, s u b m i t t e d a t t h e r e q u e s t of t h e expruepositus A u r e l i u s H e -r a c l e s , t o w h o m w a s a d d -r e s s e d also N o . 9. T h e s i g n i f i c a n c e of t h i s d o c u m e n t , b r o u g h t o u t m a s t e r f u l l y in i t s i n t r o d u c t i o n b y t h e E d i t o r , lies in i t s b e a r i n g on t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n of a g r a r i a n t a x e s in E g y p t a f t e r D i o c l e t i a n ' s r e f o r m i n 297 A . D . , s h o w i n g a s t r o n g t e n d e n c y t o r e d u c e t h e l a n d t a x t o a u n i f o r m q u o t a o n e a c h a r a b l e o r p o t e n t i a l l y a r a b l e aroura. T h e t e x t p r o v i d e s also p o s i t i v e e v i d e n c e f o r t h e s u r v i v a l i n t o t h e f o u r t h c e n t u r y of t h e i n s t i t u t i o n v a r i o u s l y k n o w n u n d e r d i f f e r e n t a s p e c t s as epibole a n d epimerismos, w h i c h is n o w called epinemesis. W i t h t h e epinemesis of l a n d a s s i g n e d t o t h e l a n d h o l d e r s of K a r a i n s a t P t o l e m a i s , B a c c h i a s a n d K e r k e s o u c h a A g o r a s i n 313/314 A . D . d e a l s N o . 12. N o . 13 is a r e p o r t s u b m i t t e d i n t h e s u m m e r of 314 A . D . b y t h e c h a f f col-l e c t o r s of K a r a n i s a n d i t s horiodeiktia ( S e u t h e s son of H e r a s a n d I s i d o r u s s o n of P t o l e m a e u s , cf. N o . 10), a d d r e s s e d t o A u r e l i u s G e r o n t i u s also called A p p h o u s w h o h a s t h e u n p r e c e d e n t e d t i t l e π ρ ε τ α κ τ ά ρ ω ρ Έ π τ α ν ο μ ί α ς ( = p e r t r a c t a t o r = „ i n s p e c t o r of a c c o u n t s " ) . W e f i n d t h e s a m e c h a f f collectors i n N o . 16, a n o t h e r r e p o r t of c h a f f a n d h a y , f r o m 1 9 t h F e b r u a r y , 314 A . D . P r o b a b l y t h e y a r e r e s p o n s i b l e also f o r a list of a r r e a r s of t h e c h a f f l e v y p u b l i s h e d u n d e r N o . 17. N o . 14 is a d a y b o o k of t a x c o n t r i b u t i o n s i n g r a i n m a d e b y t h e l a n d h o l d e r s of K a r a n i s ( s e v e n c o l u m n s of w r i t i n g ) ; t h e t e x t is d a t e d b y t h e E d i t o r ca. 3 1 1 - 3 1 4 A . D . (cf. t h e t a b l e on p . 131 d i s p l a y i n g t h e n a m e s w h i c h o c c u r i n N o . 14, o n t h e o n e h a n d , a n d N o . 9, 10 a n d 12 o n t h e o t h e r , t h e i r c o r r e l a t i o n s b e i n g of b a s i c i m p o r t a n c e f o r t h e d a t e ) . N o . 15 is a list of c a r a v a n s u s e d f o r t r a n s p o r t i n g g r a i n f r o m K a r a n i s t o t h e N i l e p o r t s u n d e r t h e s u p e r v i s i o n of t h e sitologoi of K a r a n i s a n d t h e i r a g e n t s (309 or 310 A . D . ) .
A list of l a n d h o l d e r s a p p e a r i n g t o b e a t a x list, b u t b e i n g p e r h a p s a pittakion r e c o r d ( s u c h as N o s . 2 4 - 2 6 ) is p u b l i s h e d u n d e r N o . 1 8 ; a n a p r o x i m a t e d a t e (ca. 3 0 5 - 3 1 1 A . D . ) f o r t h i s t e x t is o b t a i n e d b y t h e E d i t o r b y c o m p a r i n g t h e n a m e s i n i t w i t h t h o s e i n N o s . 6, 9, 10, 14 a n d 12. All t h e n a m e s a p p e a r i n g i n t h e l i s t p u b l i s h e d as N o . 19 ( e x c e p t t h e t h r e e in lines 3, 5, a n d 8) a r e f o u n d also i n N o . 9,' 11. 1 9 - 3 5 , u n d e r t h e h e a d i n g αρχόντων και π ο λ ι τ ώ ν ; w e h a v e h e r e t h e r e f o r e a list of t h e m e t r o p o l i t a n s b e i n g
landholders in Karanis or its horiodeiktia; the text is dated with the help of prosopographie observations after 313/314 A.D.
No. 20, dated by the Editor after 314 A.D., is a list of persons (partly known from Nos. 9, 10, 14 and 12), assigned, as it seems, to different liturgie services. Under No. 21 is found a record of phaselus beans and other vegetables possibly contributed for the military annona, or, as it is suggested by the Editor, a private account of deliveries of beans and vegetables seed made by Isidorus; ca. 314-315 or perhaps later.
Nos. 22 and 23, from 303/304 A.D., deal with the annona of meat, Isidorus son of Ptolemaeus being that year one of meat collectors for Karanis.
No. 24 is a list of the pittakion („agricultural firm established for joint exploitation of government land" p. 168 n. ad 1.1) of Isidorus, consisting of seven names, to each of which is added an amount of money said to be in arraears. Other lists of the pittakion of Isidorus are found under Nos. 25 and 26 (cf. the table on p. 167/168); all three lists are dated the first quarter of 4th century A.D.
Nos. 27 (ca. 311 A.D.) and 29 (1st quarter of 4th cent. A.D.) may refer also to the problem of pittakia being respectively a list of different persons with money statments and a raport of money payments addressed to Aurelius Isidorus by Aurelius Ptollas whom the Editor suspects to be the head of a pit-takion.
No. 28 is a list of payments in money, possibly concerned with collections of arrears of land tax (probably dating ca. 312-313 A.D.).
The subsection of „Reports" (II A) closes with No. 30 (1st quarter of the 4th cent. A.D.), perhaps a list of money payments intended to cover the cost of transporting grains which had been collected as taxes.
Nos. 31 (276 A.D.), 32 (Oct. 25, 283 A.D.), 38 (November 7, 296 A.D.), 39 (November 13, 296 A.D. — Fayum held still by Domitius Domitianus) and 45 (June/July, 307 A.D.) are receipts for tax-corn, issued to (respectively) the veteran Asclepiades (for whom probably the deliveries were made by his lessee, Ptolemaeus father of Isidorus), Ptolemaeus and Thaisarion (father and aunt of Isidorus), Sarapion son of Onnophris to his lessee Isidorus (both Nos. 38 and 39) and to Didymus, son of Proclos, also through Isidorus. The officials issuing the receipt are the dekaprotoi and in the last text the sitologoi of Karanis.
No. 33 is a receipt, from October 25, 283 A.D., acknowledging the payment of 1400 drachmes by Ptolemaeus, father of Isidorus, to cover the wheat arrears of land-tax.
The three receipts published under No. 34, written on one papyrus-sheet, record payments made in the years 291-294 A.D. for τιμή πυροΰ and οΐνου by Isidorus, his son, and Sarapion, son of Onnophris (probably also through Isidorus).
No. 35 is a text consisting of three receipts for the annona of wine, all written and signed by Horion, collector of this annona, who also wrote and signed No. 34, 20-26, on November 18, 294 A.D. what allows to date also the present text in the year 293/294.
The text of No. 36 consists of two receipts for barley, issued to Sarapion, son of Onnophris, who is represented by Isidorus, son of Ptolemaeus, from 295 A.D.
Two receipts for τιμή οΐνου and transportation charges, from 295 and 296 A.D., found on one papyrus-sheet, are published under No. 37, and No. 40, from 299 A.D. presents a receipt in two parts, crediting to Isidorus (11. 1-3) and Heroninus (1. 4-5) the delivery of emmer to a bakery.
A roll of small format, consisting of seven fragments on which are written ten columns (col. I - V I I : 302-305 A.D.; col. VIII may well belong to 305, col. I X and X are dated in the year 312), containing receipts for various taxes, issued by the άπαιτηταί (military annona) and the sitologoi, is published as No. 41.
No. 42 is a receipt issued in October 303 A.D. to Isidorus, who was collector of the διατύπωσις ( = delegatio) for Karanis in 300/301 A.D., crediting him with payments of three talents and 500 drachmas.
Nos. 43 (October 16, 304 A.D.), 44 (305/306 A.D.) and 52 (October 2, 312 A.D.) are receipts connected with the annona of meat.
No. 46 is a receipt for chaff issued to two collectors (άπαιτηταί) at Karanis by an αποδέκτης at Leukogion, a village( in the Heracleopolite nome which
served Fayum as a southern port on the Nile.
The four columns of No. 47 contain a series of seven receipts for barley delivered at the harbours of Kerke and Leukogion by the sitologoi of Karanis as part of the canon, or grain levy, imposed on the village for the year 308/309.
Nos. 48 and 49 are two receipts for emmer, issued, respectively in August and November 309 A.D., by the άπεδέκται to the sitologoi of Karanis (one of whom is Isidorus).
The text of three columns, each containing a receipt issued on May 16, 310 A.D. by different shipmaster and acknowledging a delivery of wheat to the harbor of Kerke by the sitologoi of Karanis, is published under No. 50.
No. 51 is a receipt for transportation charges, issued in the spring of 311 A.D. to Palaemon, son of Ptolemaeus and brother of Isidorus, by two groups of collectors of transportation dues associated with the military annona.
The text of No. 53 consists of two columns, with two receipts each, all of them issued in the years 313 and 314 to Kyrillous, daughter of Kopres.
The receipt published as No. 54 is addressed to Antonius Sarapammon, strategus of the Arsinoite nome, by the komarchs of Karanis and Isidorus,
tesserarius of the same village, who acknowledge that they have received a pay-ment for clothing, consituing the village quota of a requisition of military clothing for the year 310/311 (cf. No. 72, 16-18 and No. 73).
Two receipts, one for transportation charges on the military annona for 312/313, the other for meat for 313/314 are found together on one papyrus, published as No. 55.
No. 56 is a receipt for wood for the cellarium or allowance of wood for heating and cooking purposes made to soldiers in the late Empire; from July 315 A.D.
The text of No. 57, from 315 A.D., is arranged in two column, the first of which contains a list of names of κεφαλαιωταί of the village of Karanis, i.e. probably foremen in charge of the donkey caravans which moved the barley receipted in col. II to a river port. The second column consists of two receipts acknowledging three shipments of barely, marked for delivery to the horse-breeder Hephaestion.
In No. 58, the same Hephaestion is described as the leader of the Blue faction in Alexandria, the text being the receipt for money in payment for three deliveries noted in the receipts of No. 57.
No. 59 has two columns of writing, with two receipts in each, all four issued to persons of Isidorus family, for various taxes.
The receipt of No. 60 was issued to Isidorus himself by two collectors of taxes due for the seventh indiction (318/319 A.D.), acknowleding the payments in money and deliveries in kind for taxes assessed on property in the hamlet of Kalos. Under No. 61 are published six receipts from 323 A.D. (distributed over 4 columns), issued to Isidorus by various collectors and sitologoi.
Among the petitions (3rd section) the following numbers are published for the first time: Nos. 65-67, 70, 72, 74, 76-79.
The first three documents in this section (Nos. 62-64) are petitions of Taesis (or Thaesion), wife of Heras, brother of Isidorus and Kyrillous, daughters of Kopres (No. 63 being written by Taesis alone), charging their stepmother (No. 62) and their paternal uncle Chairemon (Nos. 63, 64) as having appropria-ted all movable goods left by their father at his death. The first two petitions are addressed to the beneficiarius (296 A.D.), the third — to Aurelius Heron, strategus of the Arsinoite nome (ca. 298 A.D.). The most significant feature in this affair of the two sisters is the mention in No. 62 of the Corrector Aurelius Achilles, second in command to the usurper Lucius Domitius Domitianus and of his judicial role, which closely resembles that of a prefect of Egypt.
Under Nos. 65-67 are published three petitions submitted by Isidorus, the first one to the same strategus Aurelius Heron, the latter two to Aelius Publius, prefect of Egypt in 299 A.D., (No. 67 being a variant draft of No. 66 or a second petition about the same affair) about the fire which has destroyed the grain on Isidorus threshing floor.
In No. 68, petition addressed to the praepositus of the fifth pagus of the Arsinoite nome, Isidorus complains that the secretary of Karanis and his three associates nominated him to the post of sitologos, and now they are trying to substitute him as chaff collector in place of Paesius, who has been properly nominated to that post; the probable date of this document is the year 309/310.
No. 69 is a petition from 310 A.D. submitted to Aurelius Chrestus, strategus of the Arsinoite nome, by Isidorus charging Acotas, son of Germanus as having extorted from him certain tax payments for farm land and alleging that he desires to force Isidorus himself to abandon his own property. No. 70 (another petition to the same strategus) provides a sequal to No. 69. It seems that the strategus had acted on the earlier petition favorably and awarded judgment to Isidorus, but that Acotas fails to comply with the strategus'' decision and Isidorus now requests his deputy to summon Acotas for a second appearance at court so that the judgment my be duly enforced.
The text of No. 73 is a petition from 314 A.D., addressed to Julius Julianus, prefect of Egypt (who may therefore be placed in the year 314) by Isidorus, tesserarius of Karanis, and Palemon, quadrarius of the same village, who com-plain of the conduct of Theodorus, praepositus of the pagus in which Karanis was situated, and of the komarchs of Karanis. Some notations to this petition are contained in Nos. 71 and 72.
In the year 314/315 Isidorus leased 25 arouras on half shares from the brothers Castor and Ammonianus. In addition to fulfilling his contractual obligations, he made loans to the lessors in money and in kind. After the har-vest the brothers having appropriated the entire crop, Isidorus reported their delinquency to the strategus and praepositus pagi, and finally on December 27, 315 addressed a petition to Aurelius Antonius, praeses Aegypti Herculiae. This petition is published under No. 74 on the basis of two extant copies. Re-ferred by the praeses to the exactor civitatis i.e. strategus, he sent a petition to the strategus on January 30, 316 together with a copy of his earlier petition to the praeses (published as P. Merton II 91). No. 76, from July 16, 318 A.D. presents the sequal to the story: After the death of one brother and the di-sappearance of the other, their property came into hands of their brother-in-law Tomis and his own brother Demetrius, who also failed to meet the debt. Isidorus then submitted a petition to Valerius Ziper, praeses of Aegyptus Her-culia (petition known from P. Col. Inv. 61, published by N. Lewis in J.J.P. II, 1948, p. 51 ff.) and, directed to present his complaint to the praepositus pagi, he addressed to the praepositus Aurelius Gerontius the petition published as No. 76.
The text of No. 75 is a petition addressed to the same praepositus pagi, on October 24 of the year 316, by Isidorus, who complains that six of his fellow villagers broke into his house and smashed his furniture.
I n No. 77, from 320 A.D., Aurelia Tales, probably wife of Isidorus son
of Ptolemaeus, requests t h e praepositus pagi to t a k e action against the brothers
of her brother-in-law, who are neglecting t h e land inherited by their nieces
after the death of their f a t h e r .
On J a n u a r y 29, 324, Isidorus submitted to Dioscorus, praepositus of the
f i f t h pagus, a petition published under No. 78, in which he complains t h a t
having sown with much labor only seven out of eighty arouras for which he
had fiscal responsibility, his crop was eaten b y animals which had been p u t to
graze in his field. P . Merton I I 92 is another, more detailed petition about
the same affair, sent to t h e same praepositus four m o n t h s later.
No. 79, a petition of Isidorus to the logistes or curator of the Arsinoite nome,
is also concerned with a case of trespass b y animals: a certain Melas and his
shepherds have grazed sheep over one aroura of Isidorus'land. I t is already the
second petition to the same effect, Isidorus having learned t h a t Melas h a v
on their part filed a complaint against him.
The fourth section: Business documents, is divided into A. Contracts
(Nos. 80-106) and B. Beceipts (Nos. 107-123), Nos. 83, 85, 87, 89, 92, 93, 96-98,
101, 102, 104-106, 107, 110, 115, 118 and 123 being published for the first
time.
Nos. 80-82 relate to liturgies: No. 80, dated in October 296 A.D., is a
uni-lateral chirograph addressed to a resident of Arsinoe by Heron, son of
Ptole-maeus and brother of Isidorus, who agrees in r e t u r n of the wages and other
consideration to u n d e r t a k e service as a symmachos in place of the other p a r t y
to the agreement.
No. 81 is a bilateral chirograph, from April 297 A.D., in which Polion and
Isidorus agree t h a t the former shall replace Peras, brother of Isidorus,
nomi-nated b y the village of Karanis to work on the canal known as T r a j a n ' s Biver.
I n No. 82, from J u l y 318 A.D., two residents of Karanis, Isidorus and
Ptolemaeus, the latter represented in this transaction b y his brother Papeis,
arrange an exchange of liturgies.
Nos. 83-86 record sales of animals: a horse (No. 83), donkeys (Nos. 84, 86),
a mare (No. 85), the buyer being in two cases (Nos. 84, 85) Ptolemaeus, f a t h e r
of Isidorus, in one (No. 86) — Isidorus himself.
To the sale of beans refer Nos. 87-91, No. 92 recording a sale of vegetable
seeds. Nos. 87-89 and No. 97 (a loan of beans) were found folded together and
tied into a small bundle, all four contracts drawn up in April or May of the
year 308, one of the sellers in No. 89 and one of the debtors in No. 97 being
Isidorus, son of Ptolemaeus. I n No. 90 Heras son of Melas acknowledges to
Isidorus the receipt on March 2, 309 A.D., of the price of six artabas of beans,
which are to be delivered in Pauni (May/June) of the same year.
In No. 91 (from 309 A.D.) it is Isidorus who acknowledges the receipt of
the price of 150 a r t a b a s of beans, which are to be delivered b y him to Aurelius
Nilus, a veteran and former centurion, perhaps a purveyor of provisions to
Roman troops stationed in E g y p t . I n No. 92, from December 314 A.D.,
Isi-dorus is buying two artabas of vegetable seeds for two talents.
Nos. 93-97 refer to different loans, No. 93 being an acknowledgment (dated
in J u n e 282 A.D.) of Kopres, son of Ptolemaeus, t h a t he received in loan 7260
drachmas at the normal r a t e of interest of 12 per cent; No. 94 — a receipt
issued b y Sarapion, senator of Antinoopolis to Isidorus, for 30 silver talents
which were lent t o him under an oral agreement; Nos. 95 and 96, both f r o m
310 A.D., record loans of seed of wheat, granted b y Isidorus and his associates
in the sitologia of K a r a n i s ; in No. 97, from April 308 A.D., a group of seven
men, including Isidorus, acknowledge t h a t they have received from a certain
Achillas one hundred artabas of beans, which they promise to deliver to Achillas
in P a u n i (May/June) of the same year.
Nos. 98-103 are leases of land. I n No. 99, from April 296 A.D., Isidorus
son of Ptolemaeus, undertakes to lease from Zoilus, son of Apollonius, t h r e e
parcels of 4, and arouras respectively at the villae of Kerkesoucha Agoras
in the horiodeiktia of Karanis. The receipts for the rent on arouras, issued
by Zoilus to Isidorus in the years 309-311, are published under Nos. 117, 118,
120 and 121 in Subsection B.
I n No. 100, f r o m October 296 A.D., Isidorus, son of Ptolemaeus, offers
to lease f r o m Nemesianus, councilor and former exegetes of Arsinoe, four arouras
of wheat land for a period of three years, and in No. 101 another Isidorus
representing his half-brothers, Gemellus and Pasigenes, leases some land f r o m
Aurelia Serenilla together with Ptollas and Valas (October 4, 300 A.D.). No. 102
is a f r a g m e n t a r y lease f r o m 303/304 A.D. and No. 103, from September 13,
313 A.D. is an offer to lease five arouras of arable land administered b y t h e
village of Karanis, for one year, free of rent b u t with t h e obligation to discharge
all respective taxes.
Nos. 104 and 105 are two agreements between t h e members of the family
of Kopres concerning the division of the p r o p e r t y left a f t e r his death
(Novem-ber 296 A.D.). Under No. 106 is published a small f r a g m e n t of a contract of
surety, from 306/307 A.D.
W i t h the exception of No. 123 all the t e x t s published in Section IV В are
receipts for rent. Nos. 107-110 acknowledge different rent payments m a d e b y
Ptolemaeus, f a t h e r of Isidorus in the years 276, 279 and 280/281 (No. 107
without date), t h e last two issued b y Aurelius Aphrodisius, whose letter t o
Ptolemaeus is published as No. 133. All other receipts acknowledge p a y m e n t s
made b y Isidorus, holding land in lease (1) from Gemmelus, Pasigenes a n d
their half-brothers Casius and Isidorus, either continually from 292 to 311 or
for a large p a r t of t h a t time (Nos. I l l , 113, 116, 119); from Aurelia P t o l e m a
from 302/302 t o 306/207 (Nos. 114, 115); f r o m Aurelius Zoilus from 309 t o
312 (Nos. 117, 118, 120, 121, cf. No. 99) and from Aurelia Ptolemas, d a u g h t e r
of A p p o l o n i u s a n d Serenilla, r e s i d i n g in A r s i n o e in t h e q u a r t e r P h r e m i , in t h e y e a r s 313/314 a n d 3 1 4 / 3 1 5 ( N o . 122). I n N o . 123, f r o m 317 A . D . , T a n o u p h i s , d a u g h t e r of P a t a s , a c k n o w l e d g e s t h a t she h a s r e c e i v e d f r o m I s i d o r u s , son of P t o l e m a e u s , t h e w a g e s w h i c h h e r s o n h a s e a r n e d b y a c t i n g a s a s u b s t i t u t e f o r I s i d o r u s in t h e p e r f o r m a n c e of a l i t u r g y . T h e f i f t h s e c t i o n : O f f i c i a l C o r r e s p o n d e n c e (Nos. 124, 127, 1 2 9 - 1 3 1 p u b l i s h e d f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e ) , o p e n s w i t h a r e p o r t t o A u r e l i u s H e r o n , strategus of t h e A r s i n o i t e n o m e , m a d e b y h i s a s s i s t e n t s e n t t o K a r a n i s t o i n s p e c t c e r t a i n c r o p s w h i c h h a d b e e n d e s t r o y e d b y f i r e ( N o . 124, f r o m 298 A . D . ) , t h i s i n s p e c t i o n b e i n g a n a n s w e r to a r e q u e s t of I s i d o r u s , son of P t o l e m a e u s (cf. N o . 65). N o . 125 is a c o m m u n i c a t i o n a d d r e s s e d t o a praepositus pagi b y t h e k o m a r c h s of K a r a n i s f o r t h e y e a r 307/308, w h o n o m i n a t e as t h e i r successors f o r t h e c o m i n g y e a r t w o p e r s o n s of s u i t a b l e q u a l i f i c a t i o n s , o n e of w h o m is I s i d o r u s . T h e t e x t is of special i m p o r t a n c e f o r t h e h i s t o r y of t h e praepositus pagi, since i t con-t a i n s con-t h e earliescon-t m e n con-t i o n of con-t h i s o f f i c i a l a n d v o u c h e s f o r his p r e s e n c e in con-t h e A r s i n o i t e n o m e a t l e a s t b y t h e y e a r 308. U n d e r N o . 126 is p u b l i s h e d a l e t t e r of H e r a c l i d e s , praepositus of t h e f i f t h pagus of t h e A r s i n o i t e n o m e , t o t h e praepositus of a n o t h e r p a g u s . H e r a c l i d e s r e m i n d s h i m of a n i m p e r i a l c o n s t i t u t i o n ( n o t p r e s e r v e d in t h e Codes of T h e o -d o s i u s or J u s t i n i a n ) w h i c h r e q u i r e s all s t r a n g e r s f o u n -d t o b e r e s i -d i n g in t h e villages t o b e h a n d e d o v e r t o t h e fiscus, a n d e s t a b l i s h e s a r e w a r d of f i v e folles f o r e a c h p e r s o n t h u s s u r r e n d e r e d . A t t h e s a m e t i m e h e r e q u e s t s his c o l l e a g u e t o c o m p e l t h e villages s u b j e c t t o his a u t h o r i t y t o give u p a n y f u g i t i v e s w h o a r e s h o w n t o b e l o n g t o K a r a n i s . N o . 127 f r o m J u l y 310 A . D . , is a d e c l a r a t i o n , a d d r e s s e d t o a speculator, b e i n g also a n α π α ι τ η τ ή ς χρυσοϋ καί άσήμου, b y A c o t a s , son of G e r m a n u s w h o s t a t e s u n d e r o a t h t h a t I s i d o r u s , son of P t o l e m a e u s , is e n g a g e d in culti-v a t i n g f o u r arouras of l a n d , t h e f o r m e r p r o p e r t y of H o r i o n . N o . 128 is a r e c e i p t , f r o m 314 A . D . , issued t o I s i d o r u s as tesserarius of K a r a n i s , b y t h e tesserarius, t h e k o m a r c h s a n d a demosios of B u t o in t h e M e m p h i t e n o m e , w h o t h e r e w i t h a c k n o w l e d g e t h a t f o u r f u g i t i v e s f r o m B u t o w e r e f o r m a l l y sur-r e n d e sur-r e d t o t h e m . T h r e e o r d e r s f o r a r r e s t , i s s u e d b y a centurion,1 a n επί τ η ς ειρήνης a n d a
prae-positus pagi r e s p e c t i v e l y , a n d a d d r e s s e d t o t h e k o m a r c h s a n d police of K a r a n i s ( t h e f i r s t t w o ) , a n d t o t h e tesserarius a n d t h e quadrarius of t h e s a m e village, a r e p u b l i s h e d as N o . 129, 130 ( b o t h p r o a b l y f r o m 308/309 A . D . ) a n d 131 { p r o b a b l y f r o m 314 A . D . ) . All t e x t s f o u n d in t h e s e c t i o n V I : P r i v a t e C o r r e s p o n d e n c e , a r e p u b l i s h e d h e r e f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e ( N o s . 1 3 2 - 1 3 5 ) . N o . 133 is a d d r e s s e d t o P t o l e m a e u s , f a t h e r of I s i d o r u s , b y A p h r o d i s i u s , w h o s e l a n d P t o l e m a e u s h e l d in lease (cf. N o s . 109 a n d 110). N o s . 134 a n d 135 a r e l e t t e r s a d d r e s s e d t o I s i d o r u s , a l e t t e r
b y Zoilus, lessor of t h e l a n d f a r m e d b y I s i d o r a s (see N o s . 99, 117, 118, 120, 121). S e c t i o n Y I I b r i n g s t w o small i n v e n t o r i e s (Nos. 136 a n d 137), u n p u b l i s h e d till n o w a n d in s e c t i o n V I I I t h e r e a r e f o u n d d e s c r i p t i o n s of 9 Cairo f r a g m e n t s of t e x t s b e l o n g i n g t o t h e s a m e A r c h i v e . W e a r e d e e p l y g r a t e f u l t o t h e E d i t o r s f o r g i v i n g u s i n t h i s s p l e n d i d p u b l i -c a t i o n t h e w h o l e of t h e A r -c h i v e of A u r e l i u s I s i d o r a s , t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e m o s t u s e f u l c o m m e n t a r i e s w h i c h n o t i n f r e q u e n t l y g i v e a n e x h a u s t i v e d i s c u s s i o n of t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t p r o b l e m s a n d f o r m u l a t e n e w c o n c l u s i o n s (e.g. see p p . 101 f f . a n d p . 117, p p . 255/256, p . 310, p p . 3 3 2 / 3 3 3 etc.). T h e r é é d i t i o n s of t h e t e x t s , p u b l i s h e d p r e v i o u s l y elsewhere, s h o w t h e well k n o w n m a s t e r f u l t o u c h of P r o f e s s o r Υ o u t i e, h a n d l i n g skillfully t h e s e e m i n g l y i n s o l v a b l e p r o b l e m s of t e x t u a l c r i t i c i s m .
J a c q u e s S c h w a r t z , Les Archives de Sarapion et de ses fils. Une exploitation agricole aux environs d ' H e r m o u p o l i s Magna (de 90 à 133 p. C.), ( I n s t i t u t f r a n ç a i s d ' A r c h é o l o g i e o r i e n t a l e , B i b l i o t h è q u e d ' E t u d e s . T o m e X X I X ) . L e Caire, I n s t i t u t f r a n ç a i s d ' A r c h é o l o g i e o r i e n t a l e , 1961, V I I I — 381 p p . , I X p l a t e s . P r o f e s s o r J . S c h w a r z p r e s e n t s t h e A r c h i v e s of S a r a p i o n a n d his sons, p u b l i s h i n g t h e t e x t s e d i t e d p r e v i o u s l y t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e i n e d i t a , t h e w h o l e p r e s e r v e d in s e v e n d i f f e r e n t collections ( B e r l i n , W ü r z b u r g , B r i t i s h M u s e u m , N e w Y o r k , H e i d e l b e r g , S t r a s s b o u r g a n d W i e n ) . T h e s u b t i t l e of t h e p u b l i c a t i o n ( „ U n e e x p l o i t a t i o n agricole a u x e n v i r o n s d ' H e r m o u p l i s M a g n a " ) gives t h e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of t h e S a r a p i o n ' s A r c h i v e s a n d p o i n t s t o i t s s i g n i f i c a n c e . I n h i s i n t r o d u c t i o n t h e E d i t o r d e s c r i b e s t h e a c t u a l s i t u a t i o n of t h e t e x t s b e l o n g i n g t o S a r a p i o n ' s A r c h i v e s a n d p r e s e n t s h i s o w n m e t h o d of a t t r i b u t i n g t h e m t o t h e A r c h i v e s ( t h e n e g a t i v e c r i t e r i a b e i n g t h e d a t e , g e o g r a p h y a n d collection, t h e p o s i t i v e ones — o n o m a s t i c s , t o p o g r a p h y a n d t h e c a t e g o r y of d o c u m e n t ) a n d r e c o n s t r u c t s t h e h i s t o r y of i t s d i s c o v e r y . T h e t e x t s t h e m s e l v e s a r e p u b l i s h e d i n t h r e e s e c t i o n s : D o c u m e n t s officiels e t c o n t r a t s p r i v é s ; P i è c e s d e c o m p t a b i l i t é i n t e r n e ; L e t t e r s p r i v é e s . T h e r e a r e o n l y 7 o f f i c i a l d o c u m e n t s , a m o n g t h e m one c o m p l a i n t a d d r e s s e d t o t h e strategus, s o m e d e c l a r a t i o n s a n d r e c e i p t s . T h e p r i v a t e c o n t r a c t s a r e a f e w c o n t r a c t s of sale, c o n t r a c t s p e r t a i n i n g t o m o n e y - b u s i n e s s , l a n d leases (in w h i c h t h e m e m b e r s of S a r a p i o n ' s f a m i l y a p p e a r p a r t l y as lessees a n d p a r t l y as lessors, t h e l e a s e d p a r c e l s b e i n g f r o m 2 | t o 25 a r o u r a s ) a n d c o n t r a c t s m a d e w i t h t h e h a r v e s t e r s . T h e N o s . 4 2 - 7 9 b r i n g d i f f e r e n t a c c o u n t s a n d N o s . 8 3 - 1 0 3 p r i v a t e l e t t e r s w r i t t e n t o t h e m e m b e r s of t h e S a r a p i o n ' s f a m i l y , a n d m o s t l y b y t h e m .
