23. Aurelius Pageus to the Priors of Hathor Monastery
| Reference: | Mel. 23, FNS 57 |
| Incipit: | θείων βασιλικῶν γραμμάτων ἀναπεμφ̣θέντων |
| Date: | 19 March 334 |
| Greek Text: | P. Lond. 6 1913 |
| English Translation: | FCC: JTS |
| Other Modern Editions: | H.I. Bell, Jews and Christians in Egypt (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1924) doc. 1913, pp. 49-50 |
This papyrus is a contract between Aurelius Pageus, also known as Apa Paieous the priest, and the leaders at the Hathor monastery. Constantine summoned him to Caesarea, and this contract decided his replacement. Constantine called that council as a trial against Athanasius to deal with the accusations of the murder of Arsenius leveled against him by the Melitian/Arian coalition. Athanasius would ultimately decline to appear, leading Constantine to call the Council of Tyre instead where Athanasius would reveal the very much alive Arsenius.
This document gives little information concerning the schism other than a small window into the Melitian mindset in trying to remove Athanasius from his bishopric. In addition, this documents gives the date of the council at Caesarea which Athanasius declines to mention. It also reveals that Aurelius Pageus was a priest that was somehow connected to this monastery at Hathor.
The Greek text below is that of the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri retrieved here and licensed under CC BY 3.0. The text has been adapted by J. Sauer for FCC by removing many markings and removing footnotes to improve readability. The English translation below was produced by J. Sauer for FCC licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
| 1. ὑπατ(ε)ίας Φλαυί[ο]υ Ὀπ[τάτου πατ]ρι[κ]ίου καὶ Ἀνικίου Παυλίνου τῶν λαμπρ[ο]τάτων Φαμενὼθ κγ. | 1. During the consulate of the most illustrious, Flavius Optatus Patricius and Anikius Paulinus, Paremhat 23. |
| [Αὐρήλ]ιος Παγεῦς Ὥρου ἀπὸ κώμης Ἱππώνων τοῦ Ἡρακλεοπολίτου νομοῦ πρεσβύτερος τοῖς προεστῶσ[ι] μονῆς μον(α)χῶν | Aurelius Pageus, son of Horus, from the village of Hipponon of the Herakleopolis nome, an elder to the leaders of the monastery of monks |
| [καλ]ουμένης Ἅθορ οὔσης ἐν τῷ ἀπηλιωτικῷ ὄρ(ε)ι τοῦ ἄνω Κυνοπολείτου. θείων βασιλικῶν γραμμάτων ἀναπεμ- | called Hathor which is in the eastern region of upper Cynopolitos. Because sacred royal letters |
| φ̣[θέν]των ὑπὸ τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου βασιλέως Κωνσταντίνου κελευ[ό]ντων τινὰς τῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐπισκό- | were sent by the holy king Constantine ordering some bishops of Egypt |
| 5. πους τε καὶ πρεσβυτέρους καὶ ἑτέρους πολλοὺς καὶ ἐμὲ σὺν αὐτοῖς ε[ ̣] ̣ ̣τοαυ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣] ̣[ ̣] ̣ρ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ν | 5. and elders and many others and me with them… |
| [ἀ]παντῆσαι εἰς Καισάριαν τῆς Παλαιστίνης Συρίας πρὸς διάκρισιν περ[ὶ] κ[α]θαρισμοῦ <τοῦ> ἁγίου Χρ(ι)στιανικοῦ | to meet in Caesarea of Syria Palestine for a decision concerning the purification of the holy Christian |
| [π]λήθους ἐπ(ε)ι[γ]ομένου μου τοιαύτην ἔκβασιν ποιήσασθαι εἰς τὴν προ(<γε>)γρ[α]μμένη[ν] Καισάριαν πρὸς ἀποπλή- | body, and because I am urged to make such a trip to the appointed Caesarea for |
| [ρ]ωσιν τῶν κεκελευσμένων ἀνάγκη μοι γεγένηται διάδοχον ἀντʼ ἐ[μο]ῦ κ[ατα]σ[τ]ῆσαι ἄχρι τῆς ἐμῆς παρου- | a fulfillment of what was ordered, it is necessary for me to appoint a deputy in my place until my |
| [σί]ας, <διʼ ὃ> σύνηξα τοὺς μον(α)χοὺς τῆς ἡμετέρας μονῆς ἐπὶ παρόντ[ω]ν Παταβαεῖτ[ο]ς πρεσβυτέρου Ἱππώνων | return. Because of this I have gathered together the monks of our monastery before Patabeis the elder of Hipponon, |
| 10. [κα]ὶ Παπνουτίου διάκονος ἀπὸ Παμινπέσλα καὶ Πρωοῦτος ἀρχ(αί)ου μον(α)χοῦ καὶ ἑ[τέρων πολλ]ῶν, καὶ κατ ̣ ̣ ̣ν ̣ ̣θνη ̣ ̣ | 10. Papnoutios the deacon from Paminpesla, Prooutos the former monk, and many others, and… |
| [σα]ν καὶ ηὐδόκησαν ἐξ ὁμονοίας ἑκουσίως καὶ αὐθαιρέτω[ς] καὶ ἀμε[ταν]οήτῳ γνώμῃ Αὐρήλιον Γερόντιον ὁμο- | and they approved unanimously, voluntarily, independently, and with an unchanging mind Aurelius Gerontius, |
| [γ]νήσιόν μου ἀδελφὸν ὡς δυνάμενον τὴν χώραν μου [ἀ]ποπληρ[ῶ]σαι ἄχρι τῆς ἐμῆς παρουσίας (ε)ἰς χρόνον | my own brother, as able to fill my place for a time until my return, |
| [καὶ] π[ά]ντα τὰ τῆ(ς) μονῆ[ς] πράγματα προνοῆσαι καὶ διοικεῖν καὶ οἰκονομεῖν [πε]ρὶ μὲν [ ̣] ̣ ̣ ̣κασι ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ | to attend to, administer, and manage the matters of the monastery concerning… |
| [ ̣ ̣] ̣ ̣γ̣υμ ̣[ ̣ ̣] ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣[ ̣] καὶ ̣ ̣ ̣ αὐτ[ ̣ ̣ οἰ]κονόμους τῆς μονῆ[ς ἐκ]λέξαι [κα]θʼ ὁμοιότητά μου, μηδεμίας δὲ καινοτο- | to choose managers of the monastery like me, and no |
| 15. [μ]ί[α]ς γιγνο[μέν]ης ἄν[ευ <τῶν> προεσ]τώ[των τῆς] μονῆς π[ερ]ὶ τ[ῶν] ̣ ̣ουτ[ω]ν καὶ βουλομένων ἐξελθεῖν μον(α)χῶν | 15. innovation shall be made without the leaders of the monastery concerning the…and the monks willing to leave |
| [- 30-35 -]σθαι [ ̣ ̣]λ[ ̣ ̣]κλ[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣] ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ος. κύριον τὸ τῆς καταστάσεως [γ]ραμμ[ά-] | … The letter of appointment is authoritative |
| τ[ιο]ν [πα]νταχ[ῇ ἐπιφερόμεν]ον κ[α]ὶ ἐπερωτηθεὶς ὡμολόγησα. | everywhere it is brought, and after I was consulted, I approved it. |
| [Αὐρήλιος Παγεῦς ὁ πρ]οκ[(είμενος)] ἐσ[ημειω]σάμην. οἱ πρ[οκ(είμενοι) ̣] ̣ ̣[ ̣ ̣] καὶ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣μ ̣δι καὶ Κολλοῦθος καὶ Διοσκορ[ί]δη[ς] | I, Aurelius Pageus, the aforementioned, have signed. Those mentioned before…and…and Kollouthos and Dioskorides |
| [- ca.? -]σ ̣ω ̣ ̣ς Κολλοῦθος ἔγρ(αψα) (ὑπὲρ) τῶν ἄλλ(ων) γρ(άμματα) μὴ | …I, Kollouthos, have written for all because writings they do not |
| 20. [εἰδότων. – ca.? – κ]αὶ Πρωοῦς [ ̣ ̣ ̣] ̣εχμ ̣ ̣σου παρημε | know…and Proous… |
| [- ca.? -] ̣ Παπν[ούθιος – ca.14 -] ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ηὐδό[κ](ησα). | I, Papnouthios…approved. |
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