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E00208: Greek tax account from Hermopolis (Middle Egypt), mentioning a street named after *Euphemia (presumably the martyr of Chalcedon, S00017) and a street named after *Menas (soldier and martyr buried at Abu Mena, S00073), as well as another street named after a *saint whose name is now lost (S01744); it also mentions an oikonomos of *Sergios (possibly the soldier and martyr of Rusafa, S00023); datable to the 7th c.

online resource
posted on 2014-11-18, 00:00 authored by gschenke
P.Lond 3 1028:

An account from Hermopolis of the 7th century with tax payments, gives the amount of money paid by a representative on behalf of the people living on the street of Euphemia and the street of Menas,

Line 19:

δ(ιὰ) Ζαχαρία διακό(νου) (ὑπὲρ) ῥύμ(ης) τῆ(ς) ἁγί(ας) μεγά(λης) Εὐφη̣[μίας νο(μισμάτια)] οδ (κεράτια) ιβ

'Through the deacon Zacharias, on behalf of the street of the great saint Euphemia, 74 solidi and 12 carats.'

Lines 23–24:

δ(ιὰ) Φοιβάμμωνος οἰκονόμ\ου/ τ\οῦ/ ἁγί(ου) Σεργίο(υ) (ὑπὲρ) τ(ῆς) ῥύμ(ης) τ\οῦ/ ἁγί(ου) Μ̣ην̣ᾶ
νο(μισμάτια) λγ [(κεράτια)] δ

'Through Phoibammon, the steward of saint Sergios, on behalf of the street of the holy Menas, 33 solidi and 4 carats'

Line 25:

δ(ιὰ) Γεωργίο(υ) Κο̣υ̣  ̣ίο̣υ [(ὑπὲρ) ῥύ]μ(ης) τ\οῦ/ ἁγί(ου)   ̣  ̣  ̣ νο(μισμάτια) ρε (κεράτια) ια̣

Through Georgios, son of Kourios (?), on behalf of the street of saint … 105 solidi and 11 carats.''

(Trans.: G. Schenke)

Full text available under:

http://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.lond;3;1028


History

Evidence ID

E00208

Saint Name

Menas, soldier and martyr Abu Mena : S00073 Euphemia, martyr of Chalcedon : S00017 Saints, name lost or very partially preserved : S01744 Sergios, soldier and martyr of Rusafa : S00023

Saint Name in Source

Μηνᾶς Εὐφημία Σέργιος

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Fiscal document Late antique original manuscripts - Papyrus sheet

Language

  • Greek

Evidence not before

600

Evidence not after

699

Activity not before

600

Activity not after

699

Place of Evidence - Region

Egypt and Cyrenaica

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Hermopolis

Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)

Hermopolis Hermopolis ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ Ashmunein Hermopolis

Cult activities - Places

Cult building - unspecified

Cult activities - Places Named after Saint

  • Gates, bridges and roads

Source

Papyrus document, list, dated on palaeographical grounds to the 7th century, located at the British Library in London, number 1028.

Discussion

The document refers most probably to the street of a church of Menas. This seems not to have been a small street judging by the amount of taxes due, as one would calculate a solidus per taxpayer/per household. The identification of the street would suggest that some form of cult for Menas was active in 7th century Hermopolis.

Bibliography

Edition: Kenyon, F.G., and Bell, H.I., Greek Papyri in the British Museum, vol. 3 (London: British Museum, 1907). For a full range of the documentary evidence on Menas: Papaconstantinou, A., Le culte des saints en Égypte des Byzantins aux Abbassides (Paris: CNRS, 2001), 146–154.

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    Evidence -  The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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