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Last Updated on 08 Jan 2019

Author: Matt Gibbs & Philip F. Venticinque

CAPInv. 1422: koinon ton chrysochoon

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Egypt
ii. Nome Oxyrhynchites (U19)
iii. Site Oxyrhynchus

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) κοινὸν τῶν χρυσοχόων (P.Oxy. LIV 3765 ll. 51-52)
ii. Full name (transliterated) koinon ton chrysochoon

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 316 (?) - 336 AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Professional:chrysochooi
iii. Descriptive terms κοινόν koinon
Note koinon: P.Oxy. LIV 3765 l. 51; P.Oxy. XLIII 3121 l. 1; P.Oxy. LIV 3768, col. I, ll. 3-4; P.Oxy. LV 3791 l. 4.

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) P.Oxy. XLIII 3121 (AD 316-318)
P.Oxy. LIV 3765, col. VII (AD 327)
P.Oxy. LIV 3768, col I (AD 332-336)
P.Oxy. LV 3791 (AD 318)
Online Resources P.Oxy. XLIII 3121 = TM 16000
P.Oxy. LIV 3765 = TM 15275
P.Oxy. LIV 3768 = TM 15282
P.Oxy. LV 3791 = TM 22516
i.a. Source type(s) Papyrological source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Greek

P.Oxy. XLIII 3121: Account expenses

LIV 3765: Price declaration

LIV 3768, col i: Price declarations

LV 3791: Official account dealing with payment for creation of imperial portrait
i.c. Physical format(s) P.Oxy. XLIII 3121: papyrus

LIV 3765: part of a roll measuring 76.5 x 8cm that contains summaries of prices declared across 6 columns; the 7th column is the initial portion of the price declaration submitted by the goldsmiths; not a tomos synkollesimos;

LIV 3768 measures 15 x 9.5cm and contains 3 declarations (goldsmiths, silversmiths, and an unnamed association)

LV 3791: 22x12.5cm; the text of 3791 written on the back of P.Oxy. LV 3790 (AD 317/8)

VII. ORGANIZATION

ii. Leadership 3121: unclear; the names of the individual(s) to whom this payment is made is not clear. The end of line 1 following δι(ὰ) dia, where you would expect the name of individuals is lost. The second line begins with a restored [χρυσο]χόων ὑ(πὲρ) τι(μῆς) χρυσοῦ [chryso]choon hy(per) ti(mes) chrysou regarding the payment received for gold. The name and most likely title may have been indicated in this lacuna.

3765: μηνιάρχαι meniarchai, two in number; P.Oxy. 3768 is fragmentary and contains no information about officials, titles or otherwise.

3768: not recorded here or lost.

3791: unclear. The individuals who receive the three payments made to the goldsmiths in Thoth, Phaophi, and Mecheir are likely the officers although no title seems to have been included, lines 4, 6, and 8. The editor indicates that their names have been added to the document in a second hand and that, given the space involved, estimates that there would have been no more than four individuals named.
iv. Officials 3121: Unclear.

3765: Aurelius Ammonius and his brother [...]

3768: Not recorded or lost; identity of officials lost.

3791: l. 4: Sarapas, Ammon, and Demeas (Thoth); l. 6: Sarapas, Ammon, and Demeas (Phaophi); l. 8: Dioscurides, and potentially others (?) (Mecheir); l. 10: Zoilos and others (?) (Pachon); l.11: unclear (Phamenoth)

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

iii. Income 3121: payment for crafting gold crown for the son of Licinius on the occasion of his birthday and intended to be given to the emperor Licinius.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

vi. Proper names and physical features 3765: Aurelius Ammonius and his brother [...] (col.7, ll.54-56)

3791: l. 4: Sarapas, Ammon, and Demeas (Thoth); l. 6: Sarapas, Ammon, and Demeas (Phaophi); l. 8: Dioscurides, and potentially others (?) (Mecheir); l. 10: Zoilos and others (?) (Pachon); l.11: unclear (Phamenoth)

XI. INTERACTION

i. Local interaction 3121: official interaction; association was contracted by local community to fulfill obligations related to the crown tax

3765: official interaction; association acting on behalf of the group representing them before the authorities

3768: official interaction; association acting on behalf of the group representing them before the authorities.

3791: official interaction; association receives payment from the community for gold; payment also made to a painter for creation of imperial portrait.

XII. NOTES

i. Comments It is tempting to assume we are dealing with the same association across several decades, and that may in fact be the case, although difficult to ascertain for sure.
iii. Bibliography Bagnall, R. S. (2000) 'Governmental roles in the economy of late antiquity', in E. Lo Cascio and D. Rathbone (eds.) Production and Public Powers in Classical Antiquity. Cambridge: 86-91 (esp. 89-90)
Coles, R. Appendix II, P. Oxy. LIV: 230-232
Rea, J. R. (1986) "P. Oxy. XLIII 3121 and Goldsmiths' Pay." ZPE 62: 79-80

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The terminology used suggests that the identification as an association is certain. Whether it remains the same group of goldsmiths over the decades spanned by the several texts is unclear (but also possible). The associative terminology and the apparently necessary declaration suggests that this was an association; private here because, in spite of the nature of the declaration itself, there is nothing here to suggest that this group was other than voluntary (although state compulsion may be something else entirely).