An edition of unpublished Greek papyrus documents from Roman Egypt

Abstract

This thesis consists of the First edition of Fourteen previously unedited documentary Greek papyri belonging to the Egypt Exploration Society, London. The papyri all come From Egypt during the period when it was part of the Roman Empire, and range in date From the First century A.D. to the sixth century A.D. Eight of them concern the issuing of seed-corn by the Roman authorities to the Farmers and these texts are preceded by a general introduction in which this practice is discussed. Texts 1-5 are applications sent in by the Farmers to the authorities requesting the issue of seed-corn; three of them belong to the year A.D. 99 and number 4 is From the same regnal year A.D. 99/100, whereas number 5 is a much later example and dates From the early third century A.D. Texts 6-8 are orders From the authorities to the distributors of seed-corn to proceed with the issuing of the appropriate amount of seed-corn to the Farmers. All these three texts date From the year A.D. 99 and may well be the orders corresponding to the applications preserved in Texts numbers 1-3.Texts 9-14 are of a miscellaneous character. Text number 9 dates From the same period as numbers 1-8; it is probably an application For the refund of the price of requisitioned wheat which the Farmers have supplied to the government. Text number 10 is an offer to lease land, which dates from the very end of the second century A.D. and has several peculiarities in its Format. Texts numbers 11-12 are undertakings by a sailor to serve on the boats which are transporting corn From the Arsinoite nome. These texts, and number 13, a receipt For the return of the boat, all date From the reign of the emperor Gallienus. Finally, number 14 is a receipt For wages which belongs in the sixth century A.D. The thesis is completed by an index of Greek words contained in the papyri.