One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 20720
Circular on the appointment of managers for treasury estates TM 20720Oxyrhynchos13. Sept. 288
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 3 records across 2 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
A circular letter from the official Nerbaios Africanus to the strategoi of the Heptanomia and the Arsinoite nome, complaining that many self-styled administrators, secretaries and managers were consuming the revenues of imperial treasury estates. He orders that each estate have a single solvent manager chosen under the responsibility of the town council, with at most two or three assistants. Dated 13 September 288, from Oxyrhynchus.
In English machine translation
Nerbaios Africanus to the strategoi of the epistrategia of the Seven Nomes and the Arsinoite, greetings.
From the accounts themselves it has become clear that many people wishing to devour the treasury estates, having invented titles for themselves, some of administrators, some of secretaries, some of managers (phrontistai), procure no benefit for the treasury but devour the surplus. For this reason it has been necessary to write to you so that you cause one manager of sufficient means to be chosen for each estate, at the risk of each council, and the remaining titles shall cease, the manager chosen being able to appoint in addition two or at most three persons to assist him in the management. In this way the useless expenses themselves will cease and the treasury estates will receive the proper care. You will of course cause such persons to be chosen to assist the managers as will also be subject to examination under torture. Farewell.
Year 5 and 4, Thoth 16.
The double regnal year (5 and 4) refers to the joint reigns of Diocletian and Maximian. The phrontistes was an estate manager or overseer, here of properties belonging to the imperial treasury (tameion).
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Appointment of Treasury Officials). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
p.oxy.1.58
Νερβαῖος Ἀφρικανὸς στρατηγοῖς ἐπιστρατηγίας ἑπτὰ νομῶν καὶ Ἀρσινοίτου χαίρειν. ἀπʼ αὐτῶν τῶν λόγων ἐφάνη ὡς πολλοὶ βουλόμενοι τὰς ταμιακὰς οὐσίας κατεσθίειν ὀνόματα ἑαυτοῖς ἐξευρόντες, οἱ μὲν χειριστῶν οἱ δὲ γραμματέων οἱ δὲ φροντιστῶν, ὄφελος μὲν οὐδὲν περιποιοῦσιν τῷ ταμείῳ τὰ …