Theophanes of Hermopolis, Trip to Antioch, P.Ryl. 4.627 verso col. iv.282-287
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/503
Context
One of the more interesting sources for travel, commerce, and food in
the Eastern Mediterranean during Late Antiquity is a varied dossier of administrative,
financial, and domestic documents and letters that survive on papyri
(P.Ryl. 4 and P.Herm.Rees; see Matthews 2006). This
archive belonged to one Theophanes, a successful businessman and prominent resident of
Hermopolis in the Egyptian Thebaid during the early 4th century C.E. Memoranda from a
trip he made from Hermopolis to Syrian Antioch during late winter to summer of ca. 320
C.E. provide precious testimony for daily life and exchange along the way, including
stopovers at Caesarea Maritima going in both directions. In this passage, Theophanes
records a personal transaction with his associate Eudaimon on April 21 (Pharmouthi 26),
on the road to Antioch, before celebrating his daughter’s birthday.
Text
κϛ´ ἐν Κεσαρίᾳ
Εὐδαίμονικη´ εἰς τὰ γενέσ̣[ια
-ca. ?- ]τῇ θυγ[ατρὶ (?) -ca. ?- ] (285)ἐν Σιδονί[ῳ -ca. ?- ] ἐν Βιρυτῷ [ -ca. ?-
]1
Textual Note
Ed. Roberts and Turner 1952Translation
26 (Pharmouthi): At Kesaria
To Eudaimon28 (Pharmouthi): For her birthday (285)to my dau[ghter]at Sidon [….]at Berytus
[….]2
Translation Note
Trans. Matthews 2006Works Cited
- 1 C. H. Roberts and E. G. Turner, eds., Catalogue of the Greek Papyri in the John Rylands Library IV: Documents of the Ptolemaic, Roman, and Byzantine Periods (Nos. 552-717) (Manchester: University Press, 1952), bk: 4.627, col: verso col. iv.282-287.
- 2 John Matthews, The Journey of Theophanes: Travel, Business, and Daily Life in the Roman East (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006), p: 55.
How to Cite This Entry
Joseph L. Rife, “Theophanes of Hermopolis, Trip to Antioch, P.Ryl. 4.627 verso col. iv.282-287,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/503.
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Bibliography:
Joseph L. Rife, “Theophanes of Hermopolis, Trip to Antioch, P.Ryl. 4.627 verso col. iv.282-287.” In Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, edited by Joseph L. Rife., edited by Joseph L. Rife. Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project, 2023. Entry published June 30, 2023. https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/503.About this Entry
Entry Title: Theophanes of Hermopolis, Trip to Antioch, P.Ryl. 4.627 verso col. iv.282-287
Authorial and Editorial Responsibility:
- Joseph L. Rife, general editor, Vanderbilt University
- Joseph L. Rife, editor, Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia
- David A. Michelson, Daniel L. Schwartz, and William L. Potter, technical editor, “Theophanes of Hermopolis, Trip to Antioch, P.Ryl. 4.627 verso col. iv.282-287”
- Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Theophanes of Hermopolis, Trip to Antioch, P.Ryl. 4.627 verso col. iv.282-287”
Additional Credit:
- Testimonium edited by Joseph L. Rife
- TEI record created by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium translated by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium transcribed by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium identified by Joseph L. Rife
- Editorial review by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium edited by Joseph L. Rife
- TEI record created by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium translated by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium transcribed by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium identified by Joseph L. Rife
- Editorial review by Joseph L. Rife