Record | The Cult of Saints

Greek order for the transport of lentils by boat into the Fayum (Lower Egypt), mentioning an institution dedicated to *Alexandros (perhaps Alexandros, bishop of Alexandria, ob. 326/328, S00733, or the Decian martyr of Egypt, S00223); dated 7 December 608.

Evidence ID

E02166

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Other private document

CPR 10 2, lines 1–10:

☧ Κων̣σταντῖνος
Ἰωάννῃ ἀπαιτ(ητῇ) Πτολε(μαίδος).
παράσχου τὰ βληθ(έντα)
εἰς τὸ ἁλιάδ(ιον) τοῦ δεσπό-
5
του ἡμῶν τοῦ ἁγίου Ἀλεξάνδρ(ου)
καὶ πεμ(φ)θ(έντα) ἐν τῷ Ἀρσινοεί-
τι (καὶ) ὀφ(ει)λό(μενα) πραθ(ῆναι) δ(ιὰ) Ἱερ(ημία)
παιδ(ὸς) ̣ ̣ ̣ φακ(ῆς) (ἀρτάβας) ρλβ μ(όνον)·
γί(νονται) φακῆς ἀρτάβ(αι) ἑκατὼν
10
τριάκοντα δύο μό(νον) †

'Konstantinos to John, the apaitetes von PtolemaIs. Hand out the 132 artabas of lentils which are intended to be loaded onto the boat of our lord, saint Alexandros, to be sent to the Arsinoites, and to be sold by the servant Hieremias. Total: 132 artabas of lentils'

Text and German translation: W.C. Till
English translation: G. Schenke

A full record of the document complete with image is available at: http://papyri.info/ddbdp/cpr;10;2

Cult Places

Cult building - unspecified

Source

The complete papyrus document P.Vindob. G 2149 belongs to the papyrus collection in Vienna.

Discussion

The document is part of a larger archive concerning the activities of John, the apaithtes, edited by B. Palme (CPR 10 1–16).

It has been suggested that the monastery or church of Alexander was located by the canal, since it owned a boat. Other monasteries, such as the one of Apa Apollo at Bawit, however, show monastic activity at a harbour, even though the monastery itself was located further inland.

The identity of this saint Alexandros is very uncertain.

Bibliography

Edition:
Palme, B., "1.–16. Archiv des Johannes ΑΠΑΙΤΗΤΗΣ", in: H. Harrauer et al. (ed.), Corpus Papyrorum Raineri X, Griechische Texte VII (Vienna, 1986), 21–56.

Further reading:
Papaconstantinou, A., Le culte des saints en Égypte des Byzantins aux Abbassides (Paris: CNRS, 2001), 46 and 424.

Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

21/12/2016

Related Saint Records

ID	Name	Name in Source	Identity
S00223	Alexandros, Decian martyr of Egypt	Άλέξανδρος	Uncertain
S00733	Alexandros, bishop of Alexandria, ob. 326/328	Άλέξανδρος	Uncertain

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E02166 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E02166

The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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