The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

P.Oxy. 58 3958

This contract is drawn up on behalf of a rent collector named Joseph, who is a member of a confraternity (φιλοπονία) of saint Theodore, and agrees to be responsible for one year for the rent collection from the properties on the Apion estate.

Lines 11–14 read as follows:

ἐγὼ Ἰωσὴφ ψάλτης [τῆς φιλοπον(ίας(?))]
τοῦ ἁγί(ου) Θεοδώρου καὶ ἐνοικιολόγος τοῦ ἐνδόξ(ου) ὑμῶν οἴκο̣υ̣ υἱὸς τοῦ τῆ[ς εὐλαβοῦς]
μνήμης Βίκτορος γενομένου διακόνου καὶ εὐαγγέ̣λ̣[ου ἑξῆς ὑπογράφων]
ἰδίᾳ χειρὶ ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς πόλεως χαίρειν.

'I, Joseph, psalmist [of the confraternity] of St Theodore and rent collector of your glorious household, son of Victor of discreet memory late deacon and gospeller, subscribing below in my own handwriting, from the same city, greeting.'

The back has a note concerning the document's content, lines 42–43:

[† συνάλλ(αγμα(?)) Ἰωσὴφ τοῦ] ε̣ὐ̣λαβ(εστάτου) ψάλτου τῆς φιλοπον(ίας) τοῦ ἁγί(ου) Θεοδώρου καὶ ἐνοικιολόγ(ου),
[υἱοῦ τοῦ τῆς εὐλαβ(οῦς) μνή]μ̣[(ης)] Β̣[ί]κ̣[το]ρ̣[ος γενο]μ̣έ(νου) διακ(όνου) (καὶ) εὐαγγέλ(ου) ἀπὸ τῆς Ὀξυρ̣υ̣γ̣χ̣(ιτῶν) π̣ό̣λ̣(εως).

'Contract of Joseph the most discreet psalmist of the confraternity of St Theodore and rent collector, son of Victor of discreet memory late deacon and gospeller from the city of the Oxyrhynchites.'


Text and translation: J. R. Rea

A complete record of the document with images and bibliography can be found at: http://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.oxy;58;3958

Cult building - unspecified

Hospital and other charitable institutions

Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy

Source

Bibliography