Minnen, P. van

Worp, K.A.

Leiden University Scholary Publications

P. VAN MINNEN & K. A. WORPPROCEEDINGS OF THE COUNCIL OF HERMOPOLIS A.D. 322aus: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 78 (1989) 139–142© Dr. Rudolf Habelt GmbH, Bonn139Proceedings of the Council of HermopolisA.D. 322The papyrus published below is heavily damaged. The text breaks off at line 14 and half of itis missing to the left. We have therefore not succeeded in restoring a satisfactory text. Neverthelesswe feel that the papyrus deserves publication for a number of reasons. It is exactly dated to April18, A.D. 322; it is the first example of a record of proceedings of a council meeting fromHermopolis in the fourth century A.D.; it refers for the first time to a shipyard at Cleopatra in theHermopolite nome; and it mentions an official decree on persea trees. We shall first give ourtranscript of the text with a few notes and then a general survey of shipbuilding for the governmentas reflected in early fourth-century papyri.P. Cairo inv. 10622 April 18, A.D. 322 Tafel IXb[Metå tØn Ípate¤an t«n despot«n ≤m«n Likinn¤ou Sebas]t`o`Ë` tÚ wÄÄ ka‹` [Lik]i`n`n`¤o`utoË §peifanestãtou Ka¤s̀arow tÚ bÄÄ m°llousi Ípãtoiw[ ] vacat deut°r& émoibª.[ÉEj Ípomnhmatism«n t∞w krat¤sthw boul∞w ÑErmoË pÒlevw] t`∞`w [m]e`gãlh`w` k`a`‹`l̀àmprotãthw, FarmoËyi kg*  , prosklÆtou boul∞w.[ c. 45 letters ]( ) e‰(pen): o‰da éf`É [˜sou] xrÒnou p°phktai tÚ naupÆgion tÚ katå tØnKleopã-5 [tran c. 40 letters ] ǹËn §p‹ to›w t̀¨῭¨῭f̀¨῭¨῭¨῭asi §k≈lusen mØ kÒptesyai tåw pers¤aw: efi m¢n[ c. 45 letters ]¨῭¨῭be¤aw ¨῭¨῭k̀[¨῭¨῭]¨῭¨῭¨῭¨῭èstin ka‹ de› p̀ãntvw énusy∞nai tÚ k̀èkeleusm°non[ c. 45 letters ]¨῭¨῭x( ) tÚn [s]k̀r̀¤̀[ba ¨῭¨῭¨῭¨῭] §piskecãm̀enow ékrèìb«w épÚ t«n katakeim°-[nvn c. 45 letters ]¨῭¨῭[¨῭¨῭¨῭]nà [¨῭¨῭¨῭¨῭¨῭]t̀ugxã̀nont̀à épok̀r¤nomai. YeÒfilow ¶narxow[ c. 60 letters ] numerous traces of broken letters [ c. 10 letters ]estin10 [ c. 60 letters t]oË s̀kr¤bòù [aÈt]∞w s̀Án aÈt“ gen[om°nou prÚ]w tÚ log̀[is]t̀Ærion[ c. 60 letters ]àntow [¨῭¨῭¨῭]¨¨῭[¨῭¨῭¨῭]¨¨῭ ÉAxill̀eÁ[w] ¨῭¨῭¨῭¨῭[¨῭¨῭¨῭¨῭¨῭]¨¨῭èì én[ab]ã̀lles̀ỳai[ c. 60 letters t«]n` geinom`[°nvn] sune`x«w meris`m«n: o`‰`m`ai oÔ`n[ c. 60 letters ]¨¨῭antçn ¨¨῭[¨῭̈ ῭̈ ῭̈ ῭̈ ῭ e]È̀gnvmone›n [¨῭̈ ῭]¨¨῭[¨¨῭]¨῭̈ ῭̈ ῭estintraces—   —   —   —   —  —   —   —   —  —   —   —   —   —  —   —   —   —   —   —   —1 §pifanestãtou; #patoi! pap.  4 xrÒnou: n ex corr.  7 ékrib«w  12 ginom°nvn140 P. van Minnen - K.A. Worp1-2 For the consular date see R.S. Bagnall - K.A. Worp, Chronological Systems 108 and R.S.Bagnall et alii, Consuls of the Later Roman Empire 178-179.3 The supplement is based on the headings in P. Erlangen 18 (A.D. 248) and P. Oxy. XLIV3187 (A.D. 300). The few other third-century records of proceedings of council meetings fromHermopolis are listed in A.K. Bowman, Town Councils 32-34. No fourth-century examplefrom outside Oxyrhynchus has been published to date.- prosklÆtou boul∞w points to a special meeting of the council. This is confirmed by the date,the 23rd, which is not the usual date for meetings of the council. See Bowman, Town Councils35, where the Oxyrhynchite evidence for a regular council meeting on the 30th is discussed.4 The lacuna probably started with metÉ êlla (sk°mmata) as in P. Oxy. XLIV 3187. Then thefirst speaker was introduced. It is perhaps possible to identify the speaker here with one of thetwo §pe›ktai nauphg¤aw Kleopãtraw mentioned in P. Cairo inv. 10569 + P. Vindob. inv. G15014,1 because that text also dates from A.D. 322.- Before e‰(pen) there is a diagonal stroke indicating an abbreviated function or title.4-5 tÚ naupÆgion tÚ katå tØn Kleopã|[tran is known otherwise only from P. Cairo inv.10569 + P. Vindob. inv. G 15014 of A.D. 322, where two §pe›ktai nauphg¤aw Kleopãtraware mentioned. We are dealing with a shipyard for building or repairing government ships usedfor transporting wheat or military supplies. The council was held responsible for theconstruction and repair of government ships as appears from the phrase kindÊnƒ t∞w boul∞wused in a similar context in P. Beatty Panop., App. I.- Kleopã|[tran is known as the harbour of Hermopolis on the Bah `r Yúsuf; see St. Timm, Daschristlich-koptische Ägypten III 1273-1276. That on the Nile was called Kleopatr¤w; see P.van Minnen, ZPE 67 (1987) 121-122.5 The lacuna contained the phrase dependent on o‰da, possibly something like pollåw pers¤aw§kkekÒfyai. After that a high official's name and function or title were mentioned. One mayrestore something like ı d¢ kayolikÚw name] n`Ën ktl. The kayolikÒw is indeed more thanonce involved in the repair and construction of ships; in both P. Beatty Panop., App. I and P.L.Bat. II 14 the orders are seen to emanate from him. Moreover a kayolikÒw is known fromSB XIV 11593 to have visited Kleopãtra; this visit may be related to the shipyard there. Seethe note on line 6 as well.- §p‹ to›w t̀¨῭¨῭f̀¨῭¨῭¨῭asi probably denotes the location of the persea trees that are not allowed to be cutdown. We have not succeeded in finding a suitable word (sacred precincts or perhaps dikes?).It is in any case difficult to connect the phrase with §k≈lusen. Persea trees are sometimeslocated near temples; see P. Lond. VII 1974 passim.- pers¤aw (for the spelling pers¤a vs. pers°a see F.T. Gignac, Grammar I 249) or persea treeswere common in Egypt. Together with the acanthus trees they supplied the best wood for theconstruction of ships as appears from P. Beatty Panop. 2, 211-214 and App. I, 8 as well asfrom P. L.Bat. II 14, 5. In P. Lond. II 214 a nauphgÒw is accused of having stolen twoacanthus trees from an imperial estate. Other types of wood used for particular parts of shipsinclude fit°Ûnon (P. Merton I 19) and kupar¤ssinon (P. Beatty Panop. 2, 178) as well as§lãÛnon and sukam¤ninon (if SB XIV 12102 really concerns a ship).See on trees in Egypt in general M. Schnebel, Landwirtschaft 292-315 and R. Meiggs, Treesand Timber 57-62; on the persea tree in particular the introduction to P. Oxy. XLI 2969. Ongovernment control of trees in Graeco-Roman Egypt see R. Taubenschlag, Law, 2nd ed., 661-663; D. Bonneau, Revue Historique de Droit Français et Étranger 47 (1969) 12-21; G.M.1 To be published by K.A. Worp as P. Adelph. 23.Proceedings of the Council of Hermopolis A.D. 322 141Parássoglou, Archiv 24-25 (1976) 91-99; H. Cadell, Chr. d'Ég. 51 (1976) 344-347. Sometrees were important for their roots, which protected the dikes. Most trees were held sacred bythe Egyptians in one way or another and this also goes for the persea tree.6 ]¨¨`¨¨`be¤aw may be restored to either eÈ]s`e`be¤aw or pr]e`s`be¤aw. The first option perhaps fits theslight traces best. In the fourth century, eÈs°beia, traditionally the respect for gods, emperorsand relatives, is applied to officials as well; see SB XII 10989, 24, where perhaps thekayolikÒw is meant (c. A.D. 325), and P. Cairo Goodspeed 15, 15, where it is even used for a=ipãriow in A.D. 362. EÈ]s̀èbe¤aw is thus an attractive reading because the rest of the line alsospeaks of respect for superior authority, perhaps even the kayolikÒw himself; see the note online 5.7-8 épÚ t«n katakeim°|[nvn was perhaps followed by persi«n or more specifically dok«n.8 épok`r¤nomai should probably be taken here as 'I am responsible'.8-9 YeÒfilow ¶narxow|[ may be taken as an indication that the prÊtaniw of the council is hereintroduced. No prÊtaniw with that name is known as yet.10 t]oË s`kr¤bo`u` [aÈt]∞w: we are probably dealing with the skr›ba or grammateÁw t∞wboul∞w; see Bowman, Town Councils 39-41. The genitive skr¤bou is regular; see C. Döttling,Die Flexionsformen lateinischer Nomina in den griechischen Papyri und Inschriften (diss.Basel, 1920) 21.- - - - -In A.D. 322 the government of Egypt ordered the construction of ships. It had done thatbefore. P. Beatty Panop., App. I contains an extensive letter of A.D. 304 or 305 on this subject;the thirty ships for the transport of - - - are due in two months.2 From among the councillors,presumably, §pimelhta‹ ≥toi §pe›ktai are to be selected for the job. The best candidates are alsoeÈpor≈tatoi, as indeed Adelphius is who operates as an §pe¤kthw nauphg¤aw less than twodecades later in A.D. 322 according to P. Cairo inv. 10569 + P. Vindob. inv. G 15014. An orderfor the repair of ships from a few years earlier is preserved in P. L.Bat. II 14; an §p¤tropow writesto the §jãktvr ÑErmopol¤tou (lines 2-5):[pros]t`ajãshw t∞w ye¤aw tÊxhw` t«n pãnta nik≈n`t`vn despot«n[≤m«]n` tå  §n M̀°mfi ka‹ Babul«ni polÊkvpa p`a`l`a`ivy°nta tuxe›n[t∞w] p̀r̀oshkoÊshw §piskeu∞w ¶gracen ı kÊriÒw mou d[ias]h̀mÒtatow kayoli-[kÚw O]Èitãliow3 de›n diå tax°vn jÊlvn perso¤nvn k`a`‹` ék`a`n`y¤nvn k.t.l.4The ships in Memphis and Babylon were repaired with wood from Upper Egypt.5According to P. Cairo inv. 10622 an official of some sort has prohibited the cutting of thefirst type of trees, the pers¤ai, in particular areas (§p‹ to›w t̀¨῭¨῭f̀¨῭¨῭¨῭asi) in A.D. 322. This may have2 See also P. Beatty Panop. 2, 16-19, 176-179 and 271-273 for a government ship built inPtolemais.3 The Vitalis of P. Ryl. IV 623 and p. 104, in office c. A.D. 318; see R.S. Bagnall, Currency andInflation 29 for the probable date of Theophanes' journey to Antioch and the approximate date forVitalis' tenure of office, which results from it.4  Incorporating a suggestion made in P. Beatty Panop. 2, 211n. We have substituted[pros]t̀ajãshw  for [§pi]t`ajãshw; likewise we would restore [proste]tagm°nhn  in line 7. For the restof the text see also BL VII 94; on a photograph kindly put at our disposal by Dr H. Harrauer wehesitatingly read at the beginning of line 6: [¨¨¨`¨¨`¨¨`¨¨`¨¨`¨¨`]gestãtvn ka‹ §pik`e`s`tãtvn (for §pieikestãtvn). Notethat the second part of the text (from line 9 onwards) is in a second column, not in a second hand asindicated in the edition.5 Cf. those in Alexandria and Niciu in P. Beatty Panop. 2, 211-214.142 P. van Minnen - K.A. Worpdelayed the construction of the ships and it would be important for the council to discuss theconsequences.The government of Egypt took the matter of the state-owned pers¤ai very seriously in thefirst quarter of the fourth century A.D. This is shown by PSI IV 285 of A.D. 317,6 whichcontains a general prohibition to cut state-owned persea trees, no doubt because the governmentitself might need the timber soon. From P. Oxy. XXXVI 2767 and XLI 2969 and its duplicate2993, both of A.D. 323, it appears that even inside the walls of Oxyrhynchus at least 177 perseatrees were officially planted and special care of them was arranged for. Perhaps this was done tomake up for losses incurred in the meantime. Indeed persea trees were to be cut down for therepair of ships a few years earlier according to P. L.Bat. II 14 (see footnote 3), and they no doubtwere in A.D. 322 for the construction of ships in Cleopatra. Already in A.D. 316 another perseatree was to be cut down for the municipal bath of Oxyrhynchus according to P. Oxy. I 53; thismatter was dealt with in a rather circumspect way, no doubt because the need for timber of thelocal government had to compete with that of the central government. It is thus less likely thatconsideration for the popular sentiments of the Egyptian population led to a conservationist policywith regard to the persea tree. It seems more likely that such a policy alternated with consumptivepolicy, or even interfered with it as in P. Cairo inv. 10622, as is only natural with trees: once theyare cut down it takes quite a number of years to grow new ones. Reference, however, should alsobe made to CJ X 78, 1, where persea trees 'all over Egypt' (per Aegyptum in the title) are put on apar with trees from the sacred grove at Daphne near Antioch. Both types of trees were not to be cutdown according to the emperors Arcadius and Honorius.In A.D. 324 Licinius' fleet was defeated by Constantine's in the Dardanelles. It seemspossible that already in A.D. 322 the government foresaw such a battle somewhere and ordered theconstruction of warships. The order for the repair of the old polÊkvpa in P. L.Bat. II 14 has beeninterpreted in this way.8 But on the whole it is extremely unlikely that any of the ships repaired inabout A.D. 318 or constructed in Upper Egypt in A.D. 322 were part of Licinius' fleet. First,ships used on the Nile are not fit to cross the Mediterranean. Second, the polÊkvpa in P. L.Bat.II 14 were no warships at all, but ships for inland transportation.9 Third, building warships is bestdone in coastal areas with a plentiful supply of wood. Upper Egypt simply cannot have beenregarded by even the worst informed government as a suitable place for such activity.10P. van Minnen LeidenK.A. Worp Amsterdam6 See BL I 394, where it is not stated that the papyrus actually reads ib∫ i ∫ b∫ in line 14.7 If ≤ pers¤a izÄ  in P. Oxy. XLI 2993, 15 indeed means 'the 17th persea tree'.8 C.H. Roberts, JEA 31 (1946) 113 and P. Ryl. IV, p. 105.9 See L. Casson, Ships and Seamanship 334, note 30; for references see E. Wipszycka, Chr. d'Ég.35 (1960) 219. From SB XIV 12010 it appears that the crew of a military polÊkvpon consisted offour naËtai.10 We wish to thank the Egyptian authorities - especially the former President of the EgyptianAntiquities Organization, Prof.Dr. Gamal Mokhtar, and the former General Director of the EgyptianMuseum, Prof.Dr. Abdel Qadr Selim - for their generous permission to publish this text. Through theefficient services of Dr. W.F.G.J. Stoetzer, then director of the Netherlands Institute for Archaeologyand Arabic Studies at Cairo, Dr. Dia Abu Ghazi kindly provided us with a photo of the papyrus. Wealso wish to thank our colleagues Dr. R.A. Coles, who checked a preliminary transcript of the text,and Prof.Dr. D. Hagedorn, who provided us with an enlarged photo of the papyrus. Dr. R.L.Hunsucker (Amsterdam) kindly corrected the English of an earlier version of this article.TAFEL IXProtokoll einer Ratssitzung (P.Cairo inv.10622)

Proceedings of the Council of Hermopolis A.D. 322

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Proceedings of the Council of Hermopolis A.D. 322

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