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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Greek work contract, from Oxyrhynchos (Middle Egypt), concerning the employment of a rent collector for the Apion estate, who is a member of a confraternity (φιλοπονία) of *Theodore (presumably the soldier and martyr of Amaseia and Euchaita, S00480); dated 614.

Evidence ID

E02355

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Other private document

Late antique original manuscripts - Papyrus sheet

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 Places

Cult building - unspecified

Places Named after Saint

Hospital and other charitable institutions

Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy

Source

This papyrus document with the inventory number 52 1B.26(C)/F(1)–(4) is housed at the Sackler Library in Oxford.


Bibliography

Edition and translation:
Rea, J.R., The Oxyrhynchus Papyri LVIII, published by the Egypt Exploration Society in Graeco-Roman Memoirs (London, 1991), 109–115.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

10/2/2017

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00480Theodore, soldier and martyr of Amaseia and EuchaitaΘεοδώροςUncertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E02355 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E02355