Lecture
14: Cities - Administration
Egypt in the Roman Empire
Aims
Objectives
Lecture summary
Lecture structure
Further work
Aims
To outline the developments in Roman administration in the
cities of the third century
To survey changes in the political structure
To discuss matters of historiographical policy
To explore papyri relating to the administration of the city
To point the students towards further reading
Objectives
By the end of this session, students should be better able to
- discuss the importance of administration
- consider the impact of administrative structures on everyday
life in the Roman cities
- understand the political and financial workings of the
Roman city in Egypt
- follow complex accounts in council minutes
Lecture
Summary
Augustus provided the cities of Roman Egypt with the bones of
a Classical administrative system and, perhaps more importantly,
shaped the political structures of the cities so that power
drifted away from the old temple-elite to new sources of social
power, in particular the gymnasium. The next centuries saw a
gradual transformation of the political of the city which correlates
to change in the appearance of the city to be discussed in the
next lecture. Although much is made of the granting of conciliar
government to the cities in 200, this appears to be the culmination
a long development in municipal authority by which a de facto
municipal governing elite was emerging. The purpose of this
lecture is to examine how that elite operated and how to came
to control the city. Moreover, we look at what that municipal
elite did to involve other groups within society and begin to
address the question of just how important the transformation
of the cities was in the Roman period and to wonder at the completeness
of that transformation.
Lecture
Structure
Where did we leave the cities
Temple cities
New gymnasial elite
Emerging metropolitan group
Changes in the position and role of
the metropolite officials
c. 117: an increased intensity of activity
c. 200: the foundation of councils
The purpose of administrative history
History as the story of nations
History as the story of power
History as the story of individuals
Power within the metropolite elite
P.Amh.
II 124 (Hermopolis; II c.) Account of the guards of the palaestra.
To strategos
4
Gymasiarch
4
Exegetes
2
Kosmetes
2
Agoranomos
1
For the euthenia and
the chief priest of the emperors
2
Chief priest of Hadrian
1
Chief priest of Faustina
1
Power within the council elite
P. Oxy. XII 1412-1419
1413: ‘]let
a resolution for him be made the he is to serve half-time[
]
I introduce.’
Septimius
Serenus alias Ischurion said [ ] and [
] on these terms. The councillors said: Bravo, exegetes.
[
]: [ ]the greatness of our lord Aurelianus Augustus.
So nominate also the councillors so that their payments for
crowns[ ]
The councillors
said: [ ]i
The prytanis said: Do the exegetai press
someone?
The exegetai said: I press Serenus into
the position of exegetes.
The prytanis
said: [ ].
Sabinus, whatever he is called, former
prytanis said: This Ploution still owes for a crown for when
he was raised to the position of exegetes among the magistracies.
The prytanis
said: [ ]
The scribes of revenues for the city
said: Yes.
Iulianus
also known as Dioskourides exegetes said: Ploution owes for
a crown therefore[ ]
The councillors said: The nominated
was nominated on his own property.
Septimius
Diogenes alias Agathos Daimon former hypomnematographos and,
however he is called, sundikos, said: [ ]s is gymnasiarch
The prytanis said: Name others so the
number of exegetes may be complete.
The exegetai said: I name Ion son, in
the exegeteia of his grandfather.
Secundus of Secundus, chief priest said:
Let the nominated have supervisors.
The prytanis
said: I appoint as supervisors [ ]
Plouteinon so that they may discharge the duties in the council.
The councillors said: Responsible, trustworthy
Phileas, responsible trustworthy Plouteinon.
This [
] next meeting
The prytanis said: And nominate to the
other magistracies. Nominate also councillors.
Those from
the third tribe said [ ]
The Prytanis said: Nilus, councillor,
will supervise.
The councillors said: Responsible, trustworthy,
Nilus. Nilos always fine. Success to him.
Those from
the third tribe said: [ ]
Septimius Diogenes alias Agathos Daimon
former hypomnematographos and, however he is called, sundikos,
said: I have seized the income, that is to produce stored
at Monimou and when the account is made it will be set before
you.
]however
he is called said: Those who were now nominated and nominated
by Peleos and Herklidion.
The councillors
said: From the whole [ ] Horion
landowner in Nesmeimis, trustworthy, honourable Leonides,
landowner in Dositheos, trustworthy, honourable Besarion,
landowner in [ ]
Septimius Diogenes alias Agathos Daimon
former hypomnematographos and, however he is called, sundikos,
said: So that those nominated may serve and begin, the first
annual liturgy [
]: to provide oil on 30 Mesore. On 30 Mesore he did not provide
oil but on the next day provided oil through me. On the second
oil was provided by Philosophos, on the 3 rd was due to Theodoros
son of Ptolemaios and he did not provide oil, but I provided
oil from a loan. If so[ ]
The councillors
said: Bravo Ptolemaios, bravo gymnasiarch. 11 Dionysios alias
Artemidoros, 12 Ariston alias Andronikes[
]
]: the swapping of days.
The councillors
said: The resolution is lord. 13 Xenikos and the about-to-be
gymnasiarchs[ ]
Serenos
of Ammonios gymnasiarch said: Do not let the swapping of days
affect the resolution about me[ ].....
28 Severus and Epimachus sons of Philosophos.
The councillors
said: Bravo[ ]
]: The collector of the golden crown and Nike of our lords
Aurelianus Augustus Iu[
]Augustus and that the crown is almost ready and if the craftsmen
don’t the [ ] these things
are as if for prayer. Give another 12 talents to the craftsmen[
The councillors said: Let the same persons
make the collection.
Theon alias Horigenes however he is
styled said: You are able to demand it from them.
The councillors said: Trustworthy, honest
collectors.
Euporos
alias Agathos Daimon whatever he is called said: [
] if the work is not finished.
The prytanis
said: And the most powerful epistrategos [
]
Euporos alias Agathos Daimon whatever
he is called said: When he comes the work will be hurried
on.
The councillors
said: [ ] Europos, well-judging Europos.
Septimius
Diogenes alias Agathos Daimon former hypomnematographos and,
however he is called, sundikos, said: [
]if the money is paid on trust to the craftsmen, it will be
brought before you.
]: and the group of Kosmetai through Cornelianus and Pausanias
[ ] reported that before the whole
cost[ ]
Power is money: who paid for the city?
P.
Coll. Youtie I 28 (Oxyrhynchus AD 169-73)
former
epimeletes
owed from the examined
account
37 dr
agoranomos,
former epimeletes
from examination
68 dr 1 ob 3 chalchi
chief priest account
of the building of the baths
3,000 dr
Theatre
5,000 dr
55 dr 3 ob
Theatre
3,400 dr
3,2. .
dr
800
dr
400
dr
1,000
dr
Diogenes
of Sarap() agoranomos and gumnasiarch[
Heraklas
of Phanias former agoranomos[
Apoll[ ]is alias
Herakleides[
Klarus
agoranomos in office[
Tiberios
Klaudios Herakleides[
Herakleides
alias Dionysios gumnasia[
Andromachos
alias Theon, former agoranomos
Theon
alias Chonsion
Kastor
of Asklepiades
Dorion
exegetes in office
Diogenes of Sarapion
agoranomos and [ ]
Dionysios
of Apollonios kosmetes
Andromachus
alias Theon
Ptolemaios
of Theon and Maron
Herakleides,
former chief priest
C. Carpounios Petroni[
]
C. Carpounios Ptolem[
]
Apion
of Apion
the
same
Theon of Sarap( )
former chief priest
Dionysius
of Hermippus, epimeletes
P.Lond. III 1177, p. 180-90, (AD 113)
Abridged.
Accounts
submitted to the former gymnasiarch Demetrios from Krispos alias
Sarapion and Musthos alias Ptolemaios of Ptolemaios and Musthos
through his father Didymos and Sotas of Zoilas, the four supervisors
of the water supply, the kastella (reservoirs/water towers)
and fountains of the metropolis.
Payments
Pappos
and Theon, gymnasiarchs, make [monthly] payment 420 dr, 420
dr 400 dr, 400 dr, 40 dr makes 1680 dr
Asklepiades,
Kosmetes, [same months] 1000 dr, 1000 dr, 2000 dr makes 4000
dr.
Alkimos,
exegetes, 250 dr, 250 dr; 240 dr, 240 dr makes 980 dr.
Ptolemaios
and Ptolemaios, gymnasiarchs of 16th year Thoth at 420 dr
Dida,
kosmetes, Thoth and Phaophi 1000 dr, 1000 dr, makes 2,000
dr.
Supply
of water to the baths of Severianus daily 18ob...
Fountain
of the Dromos, 9 ob daily...
Fountain
of Makedonion, 9 ob daily...
Fountain
of Kleopatreion, 9 ob daily
Water
for the beershop at the Serapeum 13 ob daily...
Archons
of the Jewish proseuche of the Thebans dr 128 per month..
For
the eucheios of the same 128 dr per month
Expenses
P.Amh.
64 (AD 107) abridged
Report
about the expenses in the building of the new baths and the
plateia (square).
Awarded
to the city from Theon, 50 talents and from the property of
the gymnasiarch 20 (?) talents
The
money is to be recovered from the funds assigned to the city
Herkleides:
‘Which and who has it?’
Vibius
Maximus: ‘You have this in the minutes’....
Areas the elite funded
Games
Theatre
Sacrifices
Public Building
Temples
Gymnasium
Other Areas of Power
Market
Corn dole: P. Oxy. XL
P. Oxy. XL
2894: To Aurelius Ploution secretary of the corn-dole from Aurelius
Sarapion of Erotos of[ ] mother[ ]
from the glorious city of the Oxyrhynchites registered in the
amphodon of Dromos Gymnasiou examined in the 11 year
and being in the last year 2, 20 and been in the last draw by
the decrees of the empowered council having obtained a place
that had fallen vacant I insert myself in the place of Theon
of Dioskoridos of Theon, mother Theonis alias Arsinoe being
late of the same amphodon and I ask that I be enrolled
so that I too may enjoy the bounty of the corn dole. Year 2
Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Claudius Blessed and Fortunate
Augustus Tubi 19
Numbers receiving the corn dole
|
Tribe
|
3,0001
|
Remboi
|
Homologoi
(100)
|
Total
|
|
Heroiou
|
21. [211]
|
93
|
4
|
308
|
|
Poimenikes
|
2.. [251]
|
11
|
3
|
265
|
|
Ippeon
|
107
|
24
|
6
|
137
|
|
Borra Dromou
|
169
|
132
|
14
|
315
|
|
Dromou Thoeridos
|
313
|
38
|
7
|
358
|
|
Borra Krepidos
|
28. [281]
|
103
|
6
|
390
|
|
Notou Krepidos
|
29. [291]
|
31
|
3
|
325
|
|
Hermaiou
|
183
|
24
|
12
|
219
|
|
Plateias
|
21. [211]
|
53
|
13
|
277
|
|
Kretikou
|
23. [231]
|
34
|
9
|
274
|
|
Pammenous
|
4.. [451]
|
34
|
11
|
496
|
|
Murobalanou
|
205
|
58
|
5
|
268
|
|
Total
|
2904
|
635
|
93
|
3632
|
1. Restored figures in square brackets
are calculated on the basis of 107 remaining from the incomplete
list being distributed between the missing digits.
Conclusions: The City and Power
Further
Work
Bibliography:
Cities
Essay 5: How did the cities of Egypt
change under Roman rule?
Lecture:
The Augustan Settlement
Lecture:
Roman Administrative System
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