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Last Updated on 03 Jan 2019

Author: Mario C.D. Paganini

CAPInv. 855: hoi en tei Kainei cheiristai

I. LOCATION

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

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) οἱ ἐν τῆι̣ Κ̣α̣ινῆι χειρισταί (P.Erasm. I 13, ll. 3-4)
ii. Full name (transliterated) hoi en tei Kainei cheiristai

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 152 (?) BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Geographical:en tei Kainei
Professional:cheiristai

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) P.Erasm. I 13
Online Resources P.Erasm. I 13
TM 5057
i.a. Source type(s) Papyrological source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Receipt in Greek of an advance loan for the payment of transport-expenses, addressed to the sitologos of the ergasterion of the village of Oxyrhyncha (Ars.) from the officials of the cheiristai of the village of Kaine.
i.c. Physical format(s) Papyrus.

VII. ORGANIZATION

ii. Leadership The group had a ἡγούμενος, hegoumenos (l. 3): he was called Sarapion, son of Belles; the man was also ὁρμοφύλακος τῆς Καινῆ(ς), hormophylakos tes Kaines (l. 2), harbour-master of the village of Kaine. The hegoumenos together with the other elders acknowledged receipt of the advance payment for the cheiristai's services.
iv. Officials On the basis of the wording Σαραπίω̣ν Βελ̣λ̣ή̣ο̣υς | ὁρμοφύλακος τῆς Καινῆ(ς) | ὁ ἡγούμενος τοῖς ἐν | τῆι̣ Κ̣α̣ινῆι χειρισταῖς | καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι προσβύτεροι, Sarapion Belleous | hormophylakos tes Kaines | ho hegoumenos tois en | tei Kainei cheiristais | kai hoi alloi prosbyteroi (ll. 1-5), it seems that the officials of the group were collectively called προσβύτεροι, i.e. πρεσβύτεροι, presbyteroi.

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

i. Treasury/Funds The group had funds available to them which were administered by (some of) their members, as they received a compensation for their services in the administration and organisation of the transport of tax-grain to Alexandria.
iii. Income The cheiristai, administrators or administrative assistants active in the organisation of the transport of tax-grain to Alexandria, received payments for their services (l. 11: φόρετρον, phoretron). In the present case, they acknowledged receipt of an advance payment of twenty artabae of grain (ca 780 litres = ca 605 kg) for that payment, which they declared to return (or deduct from the phoretron) once the phoretron is paid to them. It is uncertain whether the group had other sources of income.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

ii. Gender Men
Note Given the type of professional activity (financial administrators) in which the members of the group seem to have been involved it is likely that they were men only.
iii. Age Adults
Note It seems likely that the cheiristai, for the character of their employment, were adults.
iv. Status The members shared the common occupation of being cheiristai, administrative assistants employed in the organisation of the transport of tax-grain to Alexandria, controlled by the state. Their leader, Sarapion, was also ὁρμοφύλακος τῆς Καινῆ(ς), hormophylakos tes Kaines (l. 2), harbour-master of the village of Kaine.
vi. Proper names and physical features Σαραπίω̣ν Βελ̣λ̣ή̣ο̣υς | ὁρμοφύλακος τῆς Καινῆ(ς) | ὁ ἡγούμενος τοῖς ἐν | τῆι̣ Κ̣α̣ινῆι χειρισταῖς | καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι προσβύτεροι

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Possible
Note Given the fact that the group had a collective identity, also linked to a geographical area, a well-organised structure with a leader and a governing body, funds, and a durable intent, it is possible that the group formed a private association (cf. also P.Erasm. II p. 12). However, it is not impossible that they in fact operated as a simple business company of administrative staff involved in the organisation of the transport of tax-grain.