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2863. LETTER TO A PREFECT P. 9579 18,3 × 19,1 cm AD 133 or later Purchased in1891 Plate XXVII Arsinoite (?) (Sammlung Brugsch) The papyrus is complete at the top and almost complete at both sides. It is, how‐ ever, incomplete at the foot, where a good deal must have been lost. The back is blank. It is written in a competent semi‐cursive, typical of the early to mid second century. It was presented to the 14th International Congress of Papyrology at Oxford in 1974 by Zbigniew Borkowski, but his paper was never published. 1 I have had the benefit of being able to use his preliminary transcript and commentary. The text is specifically said to be a copy of a letter sent to the prefect, Petronius Mamertinus, by a κριτής no doubt asking for guidance in determining a case which had been delegated to him by the prefect. Mamertinus was in office in 133–137 (see line 2n.). As the number of the previous year in line 18 is too damaged to be read (and indeed may not have been given, see the note), the exact year to which the letter belongs cannot be determined; but, to judge from the handwriting, this copy was made soon after it was written. The provenance of the papyrus is not stated, but it is probable that it originated from the Arsinoite (cf. line 18n.). The case concerned a dispute regarding an inheritance. Herakleides, described as an Αἰγύπτιος, claims that he is entitled to the share of his deceased maternal grandfather’s inheritance which was willed to his mother Ptolemais. His three ma‐ ternal uncles, however, contend that, since his mother predeceased her father, he is not entitled to her share but that the whole of Herakleides’ grandfather’s property belongs to them. In response Herakleides argues that his case is supported by an ἐπιστολή of the emperor [i.e. Hadrian]; but his opponents insist that this is not so. The text is damaged at this point, so that the basis of their objection is not clear, though it certainly relates to Egyptian practice and to the fact that Herakleides was a daughter’s son: see further the note to lines 16–17. There is then a reference in lines 18–21 to a comparable case, but these are too fragmentarily preserved to yield connected sense; all that we can be sure of is that a legal expert, Dioskourides, was involved in a case which also concerned θυγατριδοῖ. We need to consider the papyrus along with another papyrus on the same subject, BGU I 19. This papyrus, which relates to a case which was contemporary with the present one, since it is precisely dated to AD 135, aroused much discussion when it was first published. It was republished as M.Chr. 85 (and elsewhere) and was studied most recently by R. Katzoff, in: Pap.Kongr. XII, 239–242, who gives a 1 See also A. Swiderek, Pap.Kongr. XIII, 394–395. Brought to you by | provisional account Unauthenticated | 193.140.109.10 Download Date | 4/24/14 7:52 AM

Dokumentarische Texte der Berliner Papyrussammlung aus ptolemäischer und römischer Zeit (Zur Wiedereröffnung des Neuen Museums) || 2863. LETTER TO A PREFECT

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  • 2863.LETTERTOAPREFECT P.9579 18,319,1cm AD133orlaterPurchasedin1891 PlateXXVII Arsinoite(?) (SammlungBrugsch)

    Thepapyrus iscompleteat the topandalmostcompleteatbothsides. It is,however, incomplete at the foot,where agooddealmusthavebeen lost.Theback isblank.Itiswritteninacompetentsemicursive,typicaloftheearlytomidsecondcentury. It was presented to the 14th International Congress of Papyrology atOxfordin1974byZbigniewBorkowski,buthispaperwasneverpublished.1Ihavehadthebenefitofbeingabletousehispreliminarytranscriptandcommentary.

    Thetextisspecificallysaidtobeacopyofalettersenttotheprefect,PetroniusMamertinus,byanodoubtaskingforguidanceindeterminingacasewhichhadbeendelegatedtohimbytheprefect.Mamertinuswasinofficein133137(seeline2n.).Asthenumberofthepreviousyearinline18istoodamagedtoberead(and indeedmaynothavebeengiven, see thenote), the exact year towhich theletterbelongscannotbedetermined;but,tojudgefromthehandwriting,thiscopywasmadesoonafter itwaswritten.Theprovenanceof thepapyrus isnotstated,butitisprobablethatitoriginatedfromtheArsinoite(cf.line18n.).

    Thecaseconcernedadisputeregardinganinheritance.Herakleides,describedas an , claims that he is entitled to the share of his deceasedmaternalgrandfathersinheritancewhichwaswilledtohismotherPtolemais.Histhreematernaluncles,however,contendthat,sincehismotherpredeceasedherfather,heisnotentitledtohersharebutthatthewholeofHerakleidesgrandfatherspropertybelongs to them. InresponseHerakleidesargues thathiscase issupportedbyanoftheemperor[i.e.Hadrian];buthisopponentsinsistthatthisisnotso.The text isdamagedat thispoint, so that thebasisof theirobjection isnot clear,thoughitcertainlyrelatestoEgyptianpracticeandtothefactthatHerakleideswasadaughtersson:seefurtherthenoteto lines1617.There is thenareference inlines 1821 to a comparable case, but these are too fragmentarily preserved toyieldconnectedsense;allthatwecanbesureofisthatalegalexpert,Dioskourides,wasinvolvedinacasewhichalsoconcerned.

    We need to consider the papyrus along with another papyrus on the samesubject,BGU I19.Thispapyrus,whichrelates toacasewhichwascontemporarywiththepresentone,sinceitispreciselydatedtoAD135,arousedmuchdiscussionwhen itwas firstpublished. ItwasrepublishedasM.Chr.85(andelsewhere)andwasstudiedmostrecentlybyR.Katzoff, in:Pap.Kongr.XII,239242,whogivesa

    1SeealsoA.Swiderek,Pap.Kongr.XIII,394395.

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  • 2863.LettertoaPrefect 149

    criticalaccountofearliercommentsonthepapyrusbyMommsenandothers.2 InBGUI19acertainChenalexas,describedasan(lineI13),claimstherighttoinheritherdeceasedfathersshareinthepropertyofherpaternalgrandmother.But her uncle and a cousin contend that she does not have this right, since herfatherpredeceasedhismother.Chenalexasinsiststhatherclaimissupportedbya of Hadrian (I 21). The refers the matter to Petronius Mamertinus,exactlyas in thepresent text,and theprefect instructshimto followthegrantofHadriananddecideinfavourofChenalexas.

    InsomewaysBGUI19 isamirror imageof thepresent text: theplaintiff isawoman,seekingtorepresentherdeceasedfatherinrespectofhergrandmothersproperty. In our text the plaintiff is a man, seeking to represent his deceasedmother in respect of his grandfathers property. In both cases the parent of theplaintiffhaspredeceasedhisownparentandthisfactisconsideredcrucialbythedefendants.InbothtextswearedealingwithpeopledescribedasandareclearlyconcernedwithwhatwasEgyptianpractice,apracticewhichwasmodifiedbytheemperorHadrian.ThemoststrikingdifferenceisthatinBGUI19thegrandmother isdescribedashavingdied(II7),whilethegrandfather inourtextissaidtohavebequeathedashareinhispropertytotheplaintiffsmother(8).InBGUI19wehavetheprefectsdecision,whichisinfavouroftheplaintiff,whereasthedecisionislostinourtext.

    WearesurelyjustifiedinsupposingthatHadriansgrant,calledainBGUI19,isthesameasthatreferredtointhepresenttext,whichwouldprovethatthegrantcameintheformofan.Katzoff,in:Pap.Kongr.XII,241,hasalreadyarguedthatthegrantwasunlikelytohavecomeinanimperialedict,asMitteishadsuggested.Hethought it likelytohavebeen inthe formofarescript,which is indeedpossible.InhisimportantarticleontheLibellusprocedure,WynneWilliamsremarksas follows: Emperorsaddressedepistles to thosewhohadwrittenepistles to them;private individuals of high social standingwrote epistles to and receivedepistlesfromemperors,aswellasofficialsandcities.3Theemperorisunlikelytohavewrittenaletterinresponsetoapetitionfroman.Thelettermay well have been written to the prefect himself, who perhaps sought theemperorsguidanceonhowtodealwithEgyptianpracticeinthissphere.WemaycompareBGU I 140=M.Chr. 373, an epistula fromHadrian to theprefect on therightsofsoldierschildren.Notetoothattheepistulainourtextissaidtohavebeenreportedinanedictoftheprefect(lines1415,ifthereadingisright).

    QuitewhatHadriansgrantconsistedofhasbeendisputedinthediscussionsofBGUI19;butitclearlygavesomerightstoEgyptiansregardinginheritancewhichmaynothave existed inEgyptian law.Our textbrings the additional information

    2NoteinparticularKreller,ErbrechtlicheUntersuchungen,158164,esp.163.3W.Williams,JRS64,1974,86103;thequotationisfrompp.8788.Inn.63onp.94helists

    thesmallnumberofknownepistlesfromemperorstoprivateindividuals.

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  • 150 II.TexteausrmischerZeit

    that therewas apparently different treatment in Egyptian practice for grandchildrenwhowerethechildren(orsonsonly?)ofdaughters.Wemaybesurethattheimplication of this is that daughters children were less favourably treated thansons children, or so at any rate Herakleides opponents claim. I am indebted toSven Vleeming and John Tait for advice, but neither has been able to quote anyDemoticsourceswhichthrowmuchlightontheproblem.Itwouldseemthatthereisnodirectevidenceinoursourcesforthesituationsrepresentedinthetwopapyri. P.Mattha4, col. ix, has variousprescriptions concerning inheritance, but on thewholeisnothelpful:seealsothenotetolines1617.

    Themostlikelyscenario,Isuggest,isthattheunclesarguethatinEgyptianlaw(orsoIinterpretinline17)theoffspringofdaughterswerenotallowedtocoinheritwithsons.IncriticisingearlierviewsonBGUI19KatzoffmakestheinterestingpointthatthedistinctionwhichMitteisfindsbetweenmenandwomenseemsillogical.thesexoftheheirscouldconceivablyaffectthelawofrepresentation.Thelawshouldnotbeaffected,however,bythesexofthedecuius(Katzoff,in:Pap.Kongr.XII,240).Thiscould,Ibelieve,accountfortheinsistenceinthepresentpapyrusonthechildrenofadaughter:isitconceivablethattheuncleswere arguing that Hadrians grant concerned the sons (and daughters?) of sonsonly?IfHadrianreferredtochildrenandgrandchildrenbyusingthemasculine, itcouldbearguedthatheintendedhisgranttoapplytosonsonlyandnottodaughters.5ThismightaccountfortheprefectsdecisioninthecaseofChenalexas,whileleaving doubt in the case of Herakleides (but see the note to 1617). FurtherdiscussionoftheimplicationsofthesetextsforourknowledgeofEgyptianpracticemustbelefttospecialistsinEgyptianlaw.

    1 . 2 [][][] 3 [] . 4 [] [][], ,[] 5 [] 6 [] []

    4SeealsothemorerecenttranslationbyM.A.Stadler,RechtskodexvonHermupolis,in:TUATN.F.I,185207.

    5ThissuggestionwasputforwardoverseventyyearsagobyA.M.Harmon,butseemstohaveattractedlittleattention.InYCS4,1934,135152HarmonpublishedtwoYalepapyri(inv.nos222and 225; now= SB VI 9317 A and B), referring to the registration by a son of property of hisdeceasedmotherwhodiedintestate.Thetextsdatefrom148andarethussubsequenttoHadriansgrant.Harmonstressesthatinthesetextsmustmeangrandchildrennotjustgrandsons,andwonderswhetherthismaythrowlightonBGUI19:if,however,theconstitutioofHadriansaidsimply,astheuncertaintyastoitsapplicationseems to indicate, the formula [in P.Yale]may be simply echoing thewording of the Emperor(YCS4,1934,146).

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  • 2863.LettertoaPrefect 151

    7 8 9 [] [][]10 [][]11 [][]12 [] 13 ,[]14 [] [][]15 [][][][][][][][c.23]16 [][][][][][c.23]17 [][][c.23]18 [][][][c.3]19 [][][c.34]20 [c.9][c.3][c.5]21 [c.10][c.12]22 [][

    2PetroniusMamertinusisknownasprefectofEgyptfrom11Nov.133toAug./Sept.137:seeG.Bastianini,in:ANRWII10.1,1988,508,updatingG.Bastianini,ZPE17,1975,286288,andZPE38,1980,81.

    3[]:thisseemstobethebestreadingofthenomen,astheupsilonlooksclear.]hasalsobeenconsidered,whichcouldpoint to ]oreven]. isnotaneasyreadingandthepapyrusisratherearlyforustoexpectthisnomen.NonamedHarpokrationisknown.

    5:thesamewordisusedinBGUI19.14.8:thereisnomentionofawillinBGUI19,cf.theintrod.910|]:inthecontexttherestorationiscertain.11[]:possiblyatechnicalterminthecontext.InBGUIII896.6a

    testator states [ ; cf.alsoP.Oxy.XLII3015.245, (also in connection with a case concerning Egyptianlaw).

    1112ForusedwithseeP.Oxy.XLII3015quotedinthepreviousnote.

    12]:thereistheendofahorizontalbeforethealpha,whichwellsuitstau; therestoration, therefore, ishardlyopen todoubt.LSJ recognisesan inscriptionaloccurrenceofthewordmeaning testamentarydisposition.Preisigke,WBIandKieling,WB IVdonot include thismeaning for thenounbutboth recordarelevantmeaningfortheverb(s.v.4).LSJalsorecordstheverbwith themeaning makeatestamentarydisposition,withpapyrologicalrefer

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  • 152 II.TexteausrmischerZeit

    ences.InSBXX15147(referredtobelow,notetoline19)theverbmayhavethismeaning.

    1314 Cf. BGU I 19 I 21,where the plaintiff .

    1416 [] is a probable reading. For the construction cf., e.g., BGU I 194 =W.Chr. 84.1315, ` () ,andP.Oxy.VI899.3739,[sic][][].On thesignificanceof the fact thatHadriansgrantalmostcertainlytooktheformofanseetheintroduction.

    15Afternodoubtor(wedonotwantareferencetoaatthispoint).

    16ispresumablyHadriansletter.After[][][][thereadingisvery uncertain. I should be inclined to suspect , but hesitate toreadit.ThesensemaybethathisopponentsinsistedthatHadriansletterwasnotwrittenforthepurposewhichHerakleidesalleges,butwasinfactirrelevant.

    1617itisveryunfortunatethatthepapyrusisincompleteatthispoint,whichwouldseemtobecrucial forunderstandingthenatureof theunclesobjectiontoHerakleides argument. I interpret asmeaning in Egyptian law., daughters sons (children?), would seem to imply that they weretreateddifferentlyinEgyptianlawfromsonssonsand,ifso,mayhavebeendisadvantagedinsomeway.Inwhichcasewewouldhavehereastatementbythedefendants.Attheendofline17theinfinitive][][isprobable.Isuggest,tentatively,thatwemightconsidersupplyinganexpressionsuchasor at theendof thepreceding line,with themeaning suggested in thetranslation.

    I have been unable to find anything in Egyptian law directly relevant to thisproblem.InP.Matthacol.ixdealswithinheritancepractices,buthasnomentionofdaughterschildren.Inoneortwoplacesitindicatesthatadaughter,oraneldestdaughter,doesloseoutinthat(1)nodaughtercanhavetheroleofeldestdaughter if there is anymale child, however junior, to takeon the role; (2) the eldestdaughtercannotacquirethesharesofdeceasedchildren(hersiblings)inthewaythatan eldestsoncould;and(3)daughtersget topick theirshareafterall sons.Thusoveralldaughtersaredisadvantagedonlyinveryspecificways,noneofwhichisdirectlyrelevanttocasesofrepresentation.GenerallyP.Matthadoesnotdiscusssuchcases.Theonlyplacewhereitseemstorefertograndsonsrepresentingtheirdeceasedparentsinrespectoftheirgrandparentspropertyiscol.ix34,onwhichsee thenotebyHughes,whoadmits that theDemotic is ambiguous (P.Mattha, p.117,n.toline4).Ifhisinterpretationiscorrect,Katzoff(in:Pap.Kongr.XII,241;seethe introd. above), writing before P.Mattha had been published, is incorrect instatingthatinEgyptianlawthenotionofrepresentationwascompletelyabsent.ThisalsohasimplicationsforunderstandingBGUI19.

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  • 2863.LettertoaPrefect 153

    1718 therewouldhavebeen room for23 letters at the endof17.Possibly]|or]|?

    18There ismorewrittenthan just thesymbol for,butthetracesaretooslighttopermitanyguessastotheactualyearnumber;andit ispossiblethatwehave just writtenout.Mamertinus is attestedasprefectduringpartor all ofHadriansyears1822(seenotetoline2).Afterwemayhaveareferencetotheconventus.

    19[]:aofthisnamewiththenomenUlpiusisfoundinPSIV450(lines37and45),probablyintheminutesofatrialbeforetheprefect Sulpicius Similis (107112). Dioskourides alsooccurs in SBXX15147.8inconnectionwithacasewhichtookplaceinyear3ofthedeceasedHadrian (118/119). In theoriginalpublicationbyN.Lewis S.A. Stephens,ZPE88,1991,173175,heisidentifiedwiththemaninPSIV450andthenomen]issupplied.TheydonotrefertoP.Fouad25verso45,whichalsomentionsaof thisname, thoughthis timewithout thenomen;herehe isassociatedwiththestrategiaofNoumesianus,whichdatesfrom138142(seeWhitehorne,StrategiandRoyalScribes,3940).Asall fourcasesconcern lawsuitsdealingwith inheritance,itisverylikelythatthesameDioskouridesoccursinallfour.

    1920Probablyor]|.Sincethiscasealsoinvolved,itcannothavebeenthecasereportedinBGUI19.

    20 ispossible.21Probablynot[].

    Translation Copyofaletter.

    ToPetroniusMamertinus,viregregius,prefect,...iusHarpokration,judge,greetings.Resulting fromdelegation fromyou, lordprefect,Herakleides, a certainEgyp

    tian,hada legal caseagainstHermiasandPtolemaiosandArtemidoros,his threematernal uncles, in pursuance of propertywhich hismother Ptolemais had beengrantedbyherfatherinawilltopossessafterhisdeath;andwhentheunclesasserted that their sisterhadpredeceasedher fatherandaccordingly affirmed thatthe right of testamentary disposition had reverted to him and that the fathersestatebelongedtothemalone,Herakleidesclaimedtobeaidedbytheepistulaofourlordemperorwhichwasincorporatedinanedictofyours.Withhisopponentsaffirming(?)thatit[i.e.theepistula]wasnotwrittenwiththatendinview(?)andthat it was not possible (?) among Egyptians for daughters sons to share in aninheritancewithsons inthepastx(?)yearheretoDioskouridesthe legaladviserhavingenquiredinasimilarcasedaughterssons.J.DavidThomas DurhamUniversity

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