Papyrus Cairo Maspero I 67002

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The Papyrus Cairo Maspero I 67002 , in technical abbreviation P. Cair. Masp. I 67002 , is now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo under the museum number Cairo JdE 40746 and was found in 1905 in Kom Ischqau , the ancient Aphrodito , in the archive of Dioskoros . The text was published by Jean Maspero . On the papyrus there is a petition written by Dioskoros to Athanasios, the Dux (military governor) of the Thebais . The text written in Greek probably dates to the year 567. The papyrus is 2.33 m long and 30.5 cm high. The document is considered to be one of the most important examples of a petition of this time and is of particular importance for early Byzantine social and legal history.

content

In column I the text reports that a certain Menas appropriated land from Dioskoros and given it to his own people and shepherds for cultivation. They now managed it tax-free, while Dioskoros, who was the legal owner of the land, should continue to be taxed for it. Column II reports on people from Aphrodito who are not named. They report that while they were at the market in Thynis village, they were ambushed by men from the landowner Serenus and thrown in prison. They were taken to the provincial capital Antinoe prison, where they spent six months and were ill-treated by people of the Menas. The Dux Athanasios ordered their release, but nothing happened and they were instead taken to a prison in Antaiopolis , near their hometown , where they remained for four months. 117 solidi were requested for their release . During this time their best animals were confiscated. Some of them took Serenus. When they were finally released, she hardly had any animals of her own. The few surviving animals were sick and emaciated. The harassment of the big landowners continued and they asked for even more money. The farmers reported that houses in the village were burned down and money, animals and wheat were stolen. Column III reports on further acts of the large landowners against the villagers. Houses were burned down and virgins and nuns desecrated.

literature

  • James G. Keenan : Tormented Voices, P. Cair. Masp. I 67002. In Jean-Luc Fournet, Caroline Magdelaine (ed.): Les archives de Dioscore d'Aphrodité cent ans après leur découverte. de Boccard, Paris 2008, ISBN 9782701802503 , pp. 171-180.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jean Maspero: Catalog général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire: Papyrus grecs d'époque byzantine. Volume 1, Cairo 1911, pp. 6-13 ( the volume online ).