Theophanes of Hermopolis, Trip to Antioch, P.Ryl. 4.627 verso col. vii.312-323
created: This entry is taken from Trip to Antioch, P.Ryl. 4.627 verso col. vii.312-323 wr
edition published: 2023-04-28-05:00
language: grc; grc
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https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/509

Caesarea Maritima is indirectly attested at Theophanes of Hermopolis, Trip to Antioch, P.Ryl. 4.627 verso col. vii.312-323. This passage was written ca. ca. 320 C.E. possibly in Hermopolis. 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 going in both directions. In this passage, Theophanes lists expenses on the road to Antioch in a private account, including loaves of bread purchased on April 21 (Pharmouthi 26), when he would have been at Caesarea.

ἰδ[ίο]υ λόγου ̣[ ̣ ̣] ̣ι ιη´ τ[ιμ(ῆς)] ψ̣ω̣μίων̣[ -ca. ?- ̣⟧ ἐν Ῥαφίᾳ ⟦τ[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣]ε̣⟧ κδ´ ἐν Ἀσκάλω[ν -ca. ?- ] (315) τιμ(ῆς) ψωμίω̣[ν -ca. ?- ] (δραχμαὶ) ω´ κε´ τιμ(ῆς) ψωμίω[ν -ca. ?- ] (δραχμαὶ) ω´ κϛ´ τιμ(ῆς) ψω[μίων -ca. ?- ] (δραχμαὶ) ω´ τιμ(ῆς) σαφω[νίου -ca. ?- ] (δραχμαὶ) ω´ κζ´ τιμ(ῆς) ψωμί[ων -ca. ?- ] (δραχμαὶ) ω´ (320) κη´ ψωμί[ων -ca. ?- ] (δραχμαὶ) ω´ κθ´ ψωμίω̣[ν -ca. ?- ] (δραχμαὶ) ω´ λ´ ψωμ̣[ίων -ca. ?- ] ̣ (δραχμαὶ) ω´

[Ed. Roberts and Turner 1952] [Minor corrections (punctuation)]

Private account [….]: 18 (Pharmouthi): c[ost] of loaves [ ] at Raphia [….] 24 (Pharmouthi): at Askalo[n ?] (315) cost of loave[s ] 800 drachmai 25 (Pharmouthi): cost of loave[s ] 800 drachmai 26 (Pharmouthi): cost of loa[ves ] 800 drachmai cost of soa[p ] 800 drachmai 27 (Pharmouthi): cost of loav[es ] 800 drachmai (320) 28 (Pharmouthi): loav[es ] 800 drachmai 29 (Pharmouthi): loave[s ] 800 drachmai 30 (Pharmouthi): loa[ves ] 800 drachmai

[Revised from Matthews 2006]

Works Cited

[...] 4.627 verso col. v.288-300
[...] 55

[* Theophanes of Hermopolis, Trip to Antioch, P.Ryl. 4.627 verso col. iv.282-287]

[Ascalon

Raphia]

[Economy and Commerce

Food

Travel]