This is a copy of a papyrus discovered from Karanis, Egypt. It is dated 158-159 CE.

replica of a papyrus discovered from Karanis, Egypt.

Actual Greek Writing:

σιτολ Κρανίδ ἔσχ προ χειρογρφ σπερμάτ
κβ Ἀντωνείνου Καίσαρος τοῦ κρίου πδ
κληρουχ Παυσᾶτ Πτολλᾶτ̣ Ψεναρ βασιλ
δ Καρανίδ Καμηλ Lδ

Analysis of Greek Text:

Line 1: (handwriting 1) σιτολ(όγοις)1 Κ(α)ρανίδ(ος)2 ἔσχ(ον) προ(σφωνήσας) χειρογρ(α)φ(ίᾳ)3 σπερμάτ(ων)4
Line 2: κβ5 (ἔτους)6 Ἀντωνείνου7 Καίσαρος8 τοῦ κ(υ)ρίου9 (handwriting 2 begins?) πδ10
Line 3: κληρουχ(ίας)11 Παυσᾶτ(ις)12 Πτολλᾶτ̣(ος)13 Ψεναρ(ψενήσεως)14 βασιλ(ικῆς)15
Line 4: δ16 (ἀρουρῶν)17 Καρανίδ(ος)18 Καμηλ(ιανῆς)19 Lδ20 (ἀρούρης)21

Translations:

To the grain collectors (sitologoi1) of Karanis2, after making a declaration by a signed statement (cheirographon3) for seed4, in the 22nd5 year6 of Antoninus7 Caesar8 the Lord9 [of the] 84th10 cleruchy11, I, Pausatis12, son of Ptollatos13, have received (seed) for royal15 land at Psenarpsenesis14, 416 (aruras17); (and for) Camelian19 land at Karanis18, ¾20 (arura21).

To the grain collectors of Karanis, after making a declaration by a signed statement for seed, in the 22nd year of Antoninus Caesar the Lord of the 84th cleruchy, I, Pausatis, son of Ptollatos, have received seed to plant on 2 ⅔ acres of royal land at Psenarpsenesis; and on ½ acre of Camelian land at Karanis.

Background Information:

  • This papyrus consists of four lines written in a type of Greek shorthand with many words either abbreviated or missing. In Greek, numbers are represented by characters of the alphabet. The cleruchy number is distinguished with a horizontal line above it.
  • The papyrus is a receipt for grain, believed to have been written by two people. The first “official” handwriting ends with the word κ(υ)ρίου on the second line.
  • It was part of a collection of 12 papyri held together by brown thread running through the center of each one as though they were part of an ancient filing system.
  • Founded around 250 BCE, Karanis was a Ptolemaic and Roman agricultural village in the Faiyum Oasis in Egypt. Known today as Kom Aushim, it is situated at the edge of the desert, approximately 4 miles east of Qarun Lake and 20 miles southwest of Cairo.
  • Antoninus Pius reigned from 138-161 CE. The 22nd year of his reign was 158-159 CE.
  • 1 arura measured an area of land equal to 100 Egyptian royal cubits, or approximately ⅔ an acre.
  • For more information, see papyri.info (p.kar.goodsp.82).