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I. LOCATION

i.	Geographical area	Egypt
ii.	Nome	Arsinoites (00)
iii.	Site	Philadelpheia ?

II. NAME

i.

Association with unknown name

U-EGY-046

III. DATE

i.

Date(s)

180 BC

V. SOURCES

i.	Source(s)	P.Ryl. IV 589 (180 BC)
	Online Resources	P.Ryl. IV 589 TM 65627
i.a.	Source type(s)	Papyrological source(s)
i.b.	Document(s) typology & language/script	Greek ledger of debts and exacted interests of an association (probably of the gymnasium).
i.c.	Physical format(s)	Papyrus.

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

ii.

References to buildings/objects

ἔλαιος, elaios: ll. 16, 79-80,

VII. ORGANIZATION

iii.

Members

There is no mention of the terminology used to indicate the regular members. However, guests are recorded: oἱ κ̣ε̣|χρικότες ξένοι, hoi kechrikotes xenoi (ll. 62-63). The xenoi are required to pay a certain amount, presumably for the oil that they were using to anoint themselves, which was provided free of charge (or included in the monthly fees) for regular members.

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

i.	Treasury/Funds	Mention of [ἐ]πί̣κ̣οινα χρήματα epikoina chremata (l. 85). The association clearly had a treasury from which funds were lent to the members and to which loans were repaid (the interest applied is at a rate of 2% in the present text). Ledgers and accounts were drawn up and kept.
iii.	Income	The association had an income presumably through regular fees as well as from the monthly interest (at a rate of 2%) arising for the lending activity which the association undertook. In the six-month period (Phamenoth-Mesore = April/May - September/October 180 BC) recorded in the text the association levied ca. 2,342 drachmae of interest from its loans in money (the total of which seems to have been 3 talents and 9,100 drachmae). The association also received income in kind, specifically in oil, as contributions in oil are registered and clearly expressed in the text (ll. 78-79ff.: π[ρᾶ]ξον δὲ κα̣ὶ̣ τ̣οὺς ὀφε[ί\|λο]ντας ἔλαιο̣[ν], praxon de kai tous opheilontas elaion): the total of oil received in kind by the association sums to more than 11 hydriai and 32 kotylai (more than 90 litres).

IX. MEMBERSHIP

i.	Number	At least eighteen names of (presumably) members are recorded in the accounts. Lacunae in the text may hide a higher number of members. In fact, not all the members of the association may have been included in the ledger as some may have not received loans or were in a position of debtors of oil towards the association.
ii.	Gender	Men
	Note	All the name of those from which money or other contributions were exacted are men. Mention of a funerary banquet for the sister of a certain Hestieios (= Hestiaios) in ll. 68-69 does not imply that women were also members, but rather indicates that the association held a funerary banquet in her honour because of Hestiaios being a member (presumably).
vi.	Proper names and physical features	Ἀ̣[πολ]λοφάνη̣[ν] ἐν̣ Κ̣ροκοδίλων Π̣[όλ]ει Ἀθη̣[ν]ό̣δωρον Ἀρσά[κη]ν Ἀρτέμωνα Δα̣βρέαν Διοσκουρ̣[ί]δην Ἑστιείο̣[υ] Εὔ̣[φ]ρονα Ζήνω̣[ν]ι Φ̣αν̣ο( ) Κράτην Μεν̣εκ[ρ]ά̣την Πτολεμαῖον Ἀμβ(ιλάου) Π̣τ̣ο̣λ̣εμαῖον Π̣ερδίκ(κου) Πτ[ολ]έμ[αρ]χον Σέ[λευκον(?)] Τρύφω[ν]α̣ Κλειτορίου Χιων[ί]δ̣ην [ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣]ρρ̣αμην διὰ Εὐμ(ένους)

X. ACTIVITIES

ii.	Meetings and events	The association met to celebrate banquets in honour of deceased members or of member's close relatives, as a funerary banquet in honour of a member's sister is mentioned in ll. 68-69: περ̣[ι]δείπνου τ̣ῆς Ἑστιείο̣[υ] \| ἀδελφῆς, perideipnou tes Hestieiou (= Hestiaiou) adelphes.
iv.	Honours/Other activities	Given the presence of contributions in oil (ll. 78-79 ff.) and the mention of hoi kechrikotes xenoi (ll. 62-63), the members (and guests) of the association anointed themselves: it is possible to envisage that the anointment took place in the larger frame of gymnastic or bathing activities.

XII. NOTES

i.

Comments

On the back of the ledger (verso) there is a calendar with a scheme of lunar months and mention of deities (Hermes, Demeter, and Hephaestus): it may refer to a calendar of festivals, which were celebrated by the association.

XIII. EVALUATION

i.	Private association	Certain
	Note	The mention of common funds, of an organised system of accountancy, of contributions in money and kind, of a division between regular members and 'guests' makes it certain that the group was formally organised and functioned as a private association. The fact that the account records contributions in oil and the anointment of members and guests makes it very likely that we are dealing here with the accounts of a gymnasium (which however in Ptolemaic village society operated as a private association) or of an association based in a local gymnasium.

CAPInv. 1513: U-EGY-046