Associations in the Greco-Roman World (AGRW)

An expanding collection of inscriptions, papyri, and other sources in translation (run by Philip A. Harland)

Manumission (frag.) of Paramone Paid by Judeans (291 CE) Oxyrhynchos - Upper Egypt


Oxyrhynchos (Upper Egypt, Egypt — Pleiades map), 291 CE
GRA III 276 = POxy IX 1205 = CPJ III 473 = BL VIII 242 = Papyri.info TM 21591 = AGRW ID# 25366


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Papyrus (14 x 16.9 cm) now in the British Library, London (Pap. 2072). This fragmentary document records the manumission of a housebred slave woman and her two children with the cost of manumission paid by the gathering or synagogue of the Judeans.

. . . Translation of manumission. We, Aurelius (?) . . . of the brilliant and most brilliant city of Oxyrhynchos, and . . . his sister (?) . . . by the same mother . . . Aurelia daughter (?) . . . of the former civic leader (exēgētēs) and councillor of the same city, with . . . her guardian (?) . . . the admirable . . . Name (?), have manumitted . . . and released (?) . . . our house-born slave Paramone, aged 40 years,  . . . and her children (?) . . . with a scar on the neck, aged 10 years, and Jakob, aged 4 years, . . . from all the rights and powers of the owner.  Fourteen talents of silver have been paid to us for the manumission and release by the gathering (synagōgē) of the Judeans through Aurelius . . . Dioskoros (?) . . . and Aurelius Justus, councillor of Ono in Syrian Palestine, ‘father’  . . . of the gathering (?) . . .   On questioning, . . . we have acknowledged that we have manumitted and released them,  (?) . . . and that for the same manumission and release of them . . . we have been paid the above-mentioned sum, (?) . . . and that we have no right at all and no power over them from . . . the present day, because we have been paid and . . . have received for them the above-mentioned (?) . . . money, once and for all, through Aurelius Dioskoros and Aurelius Justus.

Transacted in the brilliant and most brilliant city of Oxyrhynchos . . ., in the second consulship of Tiberianus and the first of Dion, year 7 of emperor Caesar Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus and year 6 of emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus, Germanici, Maximi, Pii, Felices, Augusti: 19th day of Pharmouthi.

(Witnesses:)

(2nd hand) . . . Paramone and her children . . . and Jakob . . . the agreement as stated above. I, Aurelius . . . (wrote for him) as he is illiterate.

(3rd hand) Aurelius Theon also called . . . of the money . . . rights . . . of Dioskoros . . . Justus . . . the silver . . . manumit . . . illiterate.

Translation by: Harland



[ -ca.?- ἑρμηνεία ἐ]λευ̣θ̣[ερώσε]ως. | [Αὐρήλιος - ca.27 - τῆς λα]μπρ[ᾶς καὶ] λαμπροτάτης Ὀξυρυγχειτῶν πόλεως κα̣ὶ̣ ἡ̣ ὁμ̣ομη|[τρία ἀδελφὴ Αὐρηλία - ca.23 -]ος γεν[ο]μένου ἐξηγητ[οῦ] βουλευτοῦ τῆς αὐτῆς π[όλ]εως μετὰ κου|[ράτορος - ca.33 -] παραδόξου Παραμόνην οἰκογενῆ δούλην ἑα̣[υ]τ̣ῶν ὡς (ἐτῶν) μ [κ]αὶ || [τὰ ταύτης τέκνα - ca.22 - οὐλὴ τ]ραχήλῳ ς <<ὡ>ς> (ἔτῶν) ι καὶ Ἰακ[ὼ]β <ϊακ[ὼ]β> ὡς (ἐτῶν) δ μεταξὺ φίλων ἠλευθε|[ρώσαμεν καὶ ἀπελύσαμεν - ca.17 - ἀπὸ] παντὸς τοῦ πατρωνικοῦ δικαίου καὶ ἐξουσίας πάσης, ἀριθμη|[θέντων ἡμῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐλευθερώσεως καὶ ἀπολύσ]εως παρὰ τῆς συνα[γ]ωγῆς τῶν Ἰουδαίων διὰ Αὐρηλίων | [Διοσκόρου - ca.24 - καὶ Ἰούσ]του βουλευτ[ο]ῦ Ὠνειτῶν τῆς Συρίας Παλαιστείνης πατρὸς τῆς | [συναγωγῆς - ca.32 - ἀργυρίου] ταλάντων δεκατεσσάρων, ἐπερωτήσεώς τε γενομένης || [ὡμολογήσαμεν ἠλευθερωκέναι καὶ ἀπολελυκέ]ναι, ὑπέρ <ϋπερ> τε τῆς αὐτῆς ἐλευθερώσεως καὶ ἀπολύσεως αὐ|[τῶν ἠριθμηκέναι τὸ προκείμενον ἀργύριον καὶ μ]ηδὲ ἓν δίκ[α]ιον μηδεμίαν τε ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν εἰς αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ | [τῆς ἐνεστώσης ἡμέρας, διὰ τὸ ἁπαξαπλῶς ὑπὲρ αὐτ]ῶν διὰ Αὐρηλίων Διοσκόρου καὶ Ἰούστου ἠριθμηκέναι καὶ | [ἀπεσχηκέναι - ca.16 - τὸ προκείμενον] ἀργύριον. ἐπράχθη ἐν Ὀξυρύγχων πόλει τῇ λαμπρᾷ καὶ | [λαμπροτάτῃ - ca.14 - ἐπὶ Τιβεριανοῦ τὸ β] κ̣[αὶ Δί]ωνο̣ς ὑπάτων <ϋπατοις>, ἔτει ζ Αὐτοκράτορος Καίσαρος || [Γαίου Αὐρηλίου Οὐαλερίου Διοκλητιανοῦ καὶ ἔτει ϛ] Αὐτ[ο]κρά[το]ρος Καίσαρος Μάρκου Αὐρηλίου Οὐαλερίου | [Μαξιμιανοῦ Γερμανικῶν Μεγίστων Εὐσεβῶν Εὐτυχῶν Σεβαστ]ῶν Φαρμ[οῦ]θι [ ̣ ̣ ̣ ἡ]μέρᾳ ἐννεακαιδε|[κάτῃ. -ca.?- ] | {Traces 2 lines} -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- | [ -ca.?- ] ̣ ̣[ -ca.?- ] | {hand 2} [ -ca.?- ] Π̣α̣[ραμόνην κα]ὶ τὰ ταύτ[ης τέκνα ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ καὶ Ἰακὼβ -ca.?- ] || [ -ca.?- ] ̣[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣] ̣[ ̣]κατη̣ ̣[ -ca.?- ] | [ -ca.?- ] τὰ ὁμ[ο]λογη[μένα] <ὡμολογη[μένα]>[ καθὼ]ς̣ π̣ρ̣[όκει]τ̣αι. Αὐρ̣ή̣[λιος -ca.?- ] | [ -ca.?- ἔγρα(ψα) ὑπ(ὲρ) αὐτ(οῦ)] ἀγραμμά[του ὄντο]ς. (hand 3) Αὐρή[λιος] Θέων ὁ̣ κ̣[αὶ -ca.?- ] | [ -ca.?- ] ̣ ̣[ο]υ Ἡρ[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣]α̣μ̣ ̣[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣]υτου̣ ἀρ[γυρι -ca.?- ] | [ -ca.?- ] Ε̣ὐσεβίας̣ [ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣] ̣εκ̣[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣]κ̣αιου μ[ -ca.?- ] || [ -ca.?- ] Διοσκόρου [- ca.15 -] Ἰουστ[ -ca.?- ] | [ -ca.?- ] τὰ τοῦ ἀρ[γυρίου - ca.9 -]ντα ἀ[ -ca.?- ] | [ -ca.?- ]ανικειτ̣[- ca.14 -]ς̣ ἐλευθ̣[ερ -ca.?- ] | [ -ca.?- ἀγραμμά]του.

Item added: June 20, 2019
Item modified: July 17, 2020
ID number: 25366
Short link address:
http://www.philipharland.com/greco-roman-associations/?p=25366

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