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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


from its origins to circa AD 700, across the entire Christian world


Greek order to a wine-merchant, from Oxyrhynchos (Middle Egypt), to deliver wine to the 'widows of *Michael' (the Archangel, S00181); datable to the 6th century.

Evidence ID

E02310

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Other private document

Late antique original manuscripts - Papyrus sheet

P.Oxy. 16 1954:

An order addressed to a wine-merchant to deliver one double jar of wine to the 'widows of Michael', a charitable foundation:

Βίκτορι οἰν̣ο̣π̣ράτῃ.
δὸς ταῖς χήρ(αις) τ̣ο̣ῦ̣ Μιχαηλ̣ίου
οἴν(ου) δι(πλοῦν) α μ(όνον). Μεσορ̣ὴ̣ ιϛ ἰνδ(ικτίονος) ε
ἀρχ(ῇ) ϛ.

'To Victor, wine seller. Give to the widows of (saint) Michael one double jar of wine only. Mesore 16, indiction 5, beginning of 6.'


Summary and text: B. P. Grenfell, A. S. Hunt, and H. I. Bell
Translation: J. Rowlandson

A complete record of the document with images and bibliography can be found at: http://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.oxy;16;1954

Places Named after Saint

Hospital and other charitable institutions

Non Liturgical Activity

Bequests, donations, gifts and offerings

Source

The document was found at Oxyrhynchos and is now housed in the Sackler Library at Oxford. it has been dated on palaeographical grounds.


Discussion

Very similar documents are E02130, E02311 and E02312, written by the same scribe on the same day, and addressed to the same wine-merchant (and E02126, by the same scribe and to the same wine-merchant, but on a different day), all ordering wines for charitable distribution to the widows of individual churches.


Bibliography

Edition:
Grenfell, B.P., Hunt, A.S., and Bell, H.I., The Oxyrhynchus Papyri XVI, published by the Egypt Exploration Society in Graeco-Roman Memoirs (London, 1924), 219.

Translation:
Rowlandson, J., Women and Society in Greek and Roman Egypt: A Sourcebook (Cambridge, 1998), 80, no- 64.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

7/2/2017

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00181Michael, the ArchangelΜιχαήλCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E02310 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E02310