Barbarians: Roman soldiers and Egyptian workers on peoples of the eastern desert in Egypt (early second century CE)

Citation with stable link: Philip A. Harland, 'Barbarians: Roman soldiers and Egyptian workers on peoples of the eastern desert in Egypt (early second century CE),' Ethnic Relations and Migration in the Ancient World, last modified October 24, 2026, https://philipharland.com/Blog/?p=23963.

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Ancient author: Various soldiers active in the desert east of Koptos in Egypt, O.Krok. I 26, lines 1-6 (109 CE); OKrok I 87, column 1, lines 26-50 and column 2, lines 89-106 = TM88678b and TM88678f (both March, 118 CE, under Hadrian); Cuvigny 2019, 277 = AÉ (2019), no. 1812 = papyri.info link (ca. 150 CE); OClaud inv. 7218 = PBagnall 8 = TM219289 (186/187 CE). Various workers active in the eastern desert: OClaud inv. 4888 (unpublished; 145 CE); OClaud IV 851 = TM 118503 (ca. 175 CE).

Comments: Coming soon (post still in process).

For further instances of Roman soldiers characterizing specific populations of the eastern desert, see the dedication to Jupiter by the prefect Serenus (link) and some of the dedications to Pan (link).

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Roman soldiers’ documents

[Circular letter by the prefect of the desert Artorius Priscillus concerning “bandits,” likely a criminalizing label for desert dwellers – received at Krokodilo]

O.Krok. I 26, lines 1-6 (109 CE) [Too fragmentary to translate].

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[Circular letter by the centurion Cassius Victor to the prefects, centurions, commanders of ten, soldiers with double-pay, and curators of the forts of the Myos Hormos road, containing the horseman Antonios Celer’s report – received at Krokodilo]

OKrok I 87, column 1, lines 26-50 (March, 118 CE): “(26) Duplicate copy: To Cassius Victor, centurion of the second cohort of Itureans, from Antonios Celer, horseman of the same cohort, greetings. (30) I want you to know that sixty barbarians (barbaroi) attacked the fort of Patkoua on the 17th of the month of Phamenoth (= March 13 in the Julian calendar). I fought them with my fellow-soldiers from the tenth hour until the second hour of the night. They also stationed themselves by (35) the fort until morning. On the same day, a soldier named Hermogenes from the century of Serenus was killed, one woman and two children were abducted, and one child was killed. On the 18th of the month of Phamenoth (= March 14) at dawn, we fought them. (40) Damanaios, a horseman of your century of Victor, and his horse was killed (?). Valerius Firm. . . was also struck. . .” [following lines too fragmentary to translate].

ἀντείγραφον | διπλώματος· Κασσί[ῳ Βίκτ]ορι (ἑκατοντάρχῃ) σπείρης | δευτέρας Ε[ἰ]τουραίων [Ἀ]ντώνιος Κέλερ | ἱππεὺς σπείρης τῆς αὐ[τῆς] χαίριν· (30) γεινώ|σκιν σε θέλω τῇ ιζ τῶ ἐνε[στ]ῶτος μηνὸς Φαμενωτ | βαρβάρους ξ ἐπεληλυθέναι τῷ πραισιδίῳ | Πατκουα̣ μεθʼ ὧν ἐπύκ[τ]ευ̣σ̣α̣ μετὰ τῶν σὺν | ἐμοὶ συστρατιωτῶν ἀ[πὸ ὥρα]ς ι ἄχρι ὥρας |δευτέρας τῆς νυκτός· οἳ καὶ πα[ρ]ακαθ̣είσαντες | (35) τῷ πραισιδίῳ μέχιρ πρωΐας· ἐσφάγη δὲ αὐτῇ τῇ | ἡμέρᾳ (ἑκατονταρχίας) Σερήνου Ἑρμογένης στρατειώτης, | ἡρπάγη̣ δὲ γυνὴ μετὰ καὶ παιδίων δύο καὶ ἓν̣ | παιδίον ἐσφάγη· πρωΐας δὲ γεναμένης τῇ ιη ̣[ -2-3- ] | ⟦\του/ ̣τ̣ ̣⟧ τοῦ μηνὸς, ἐπυκτεύσαμεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ [ -ca.?- ] | (40) Δαμαναις ἱππε[ὺς] (ἑκατονταρχίας) Ο̣ὐ̣είκτορος σοῦ καὶ ὁ εἵππος· ἐπ̣λ̣[ή]|γη δὲ καὶ Οὐαλέρ̣[ιος] Φειρμ[- ca.12 -] ̣ατω ̣[ (?)] | σὺν καὶ τῷ ἵππῳ α̣[ὑτο]ῦ̣ ̣ερ ̣[ -ca.?- ] |(ἑκατονταρχίας) Προκλιανῆς επ̣τα̣ ̣ ̣υσ̣ ̣[ -ca.?- ] | τ̣ῆ̣ς̣ ὥρας ϛ τῆς ἡμέρας [ -ca.?- ] | (45) ̣ ̣ ̣ βαρβάρων ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣[ -ca.?- ] | ̣ ̣σ̣ασ̣κ̣α̣τ̣ων̣ε[ ̣ ̣]δεδωκ̣[ -ca.?- ] ̣[ -ca.?- ] | εἰς τὸ πραισίδιον ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣[ -ca.?- ἐπ]είρεια [ -ca.?- (?)] | γένηται ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣[ -ca.?- ] ̣εων [- ca.3 -(?)] | καὶ εν̣ε ̣ ̣[ -ca.?- Τραι]ανοῦ Ἁδριαν[οῦ Καίσαρος] τοῦ κυρί[ου] | (50) Φαμεν[ωτ -ca.?- ] vac. ?

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[Circular letter of Arruntius Agrippinus to the curators of the forts on Myos Hormos road – received at Krokodilo]

OKrok I 87, lines 89-106 (March 118 CE): “(89) Duplicate copy: Arruntius Agrippinus to the curators of the forts of the Myos Hormos road, greetings. It has been revealed to me. . . [numerous lines regarding the circumstances he discovered are too fragmentary to translate] . . . I was eager that you watch out carefully for their [missing word] . . . And if some from Koptos may follow my direction to bring supplies, provide them with escorts for more security so that there is no occasion for the barbarians (barbaroi) to do harm (kakon). After you have read my letter, quickly send it from one fort to the next as far as Myos Hormos, and if you learn something more clearly, immediately inform me. I pray that you have good health. 30th of the month of Phamenoth (= March 26).

(89) ἀντείγραφ[ο]ν διπλώματος· | (90) Ἀρούντεις Ἀγριππεῖνος κουράτ[ορσι] | πραισιδίων ὁδοῦ Μυσορμειτε̣ι̣κ̣ῆ̣[ς][ χα(ίρειν).] | ἐμηνύθη μοι σφενδριλλον ̣ ̣ ̣[- ca.6 – ὀ]|νόματος ἀφανὴς ἐγένετο ἐκ̣ π̣[- ca.9 -] | ἡμερῶν εἵνα μετὰ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ̣ [- ca.9 -] | (95) καὶ ε[ ̣]εκεινα ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ πεπορεῦσθαι [- ca.5 –6] | μα ̣[ ̣ ̣] ̣ε̣ π̣οιησαι τὸ{υ} τοῦτο ὑμεῖν φανερὸν [ -3-5- ] | ἔσπευσα εἵνα καὶ τοῖς ἑ̣αυτῶν [ἐ]π̣ειμελέστε̣ρ[ον] | προσέχητε κα -2-3- λ̣λοις καὶ εἴ τεινες ἀπὸ Κό|πτου χο̣ρηγ̣εί<αν> κομείζοιεν̣ ἐξ ἐμῆ<ς> ὑπογραφῆς | (100) ἀσφαλά̣στερον α̣ὐ̣τοῖς παρέχητε παραπομπαῖς | πρὸς τὸ μηδεμίαν ἀφορμὴν γενέσται τοῖς βαρ|βάροις τοῦ κακόν τει ποιῆσαι· ταύτην μου τὴν ἐπιστολὴν | ἀναγνόντες ἀπὸ πραισιδείου εἰς π<ρ>αισίδιον μέχρι Μυσόρ<μου> | διὰ τάχους πέμψατε καὶ ἐάν τει ἐπειγνοῖτε σαφέστερον | (105) εὐθέως ἐπείσχετέ μοι δηλῶσαι· ἐρρῶσθαι ὑμᾶς ε<ὔ>χομαι. | vac. ? Φαμενωτ λ.

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[One of seven letters from the Dacian Roman soldier Diourdanos to Archibios the curator of the Claudianus quarry, containing a report circulated from Longinus Priscus at the Parambola fort in Nubia, with mention of barbarians heading north]

Cuvigny 2019, 277 (ca. 150 CE): “Diourdanos [at the Raima fort] to Archibios [curator of the Claudianus quarry in other documents], greetings. Here is what the duplicates contained. In the first letter, Saturnilus the princeps writes to you, instructing you to keep a close watch on the security of the quarry (5) and instructing us regarding the security of the fort. In the attached letter, Longinus Priscus, curator of the fort of Parambola [near Debod in Nubia] in the Dodekaschoinos writes that, while he was at the . . . [missing word or words] fort on the 9th of Pharmouthi, (10) he saw five barbarians (barbaroi) and two camels gathering water at the river’s edge and heading downstream on the Arabian bank on the other side [i.e. the eastern side of the Nile]. For this reason, he has written to those at the downstream frontier military post (rhipa), instructing them to watch out. (15) I wish you good health. Please have the waterskin sewn up again.”

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[Translation into Greek of a Latin letter by the prefect of Egypt Pomponius Faustianus regarding his punishment of soldiers who ambandoned fellow-soldiers who then faced negative treatment by “weak” barbarians]

OClaud inv. 7218= PBagnall 8 (186/187 CE): “Copy of a letter in the Roman language and a judgment, translated in keeping with my ability: Pomponius Faustianus [prefect of Egypt] to his own Probus [procurator of Caesar], greetings. I stood against Julius Serenus, soldier of the same cohort, and Crepereius Donatus, soldier of the same cohort, because they have left their fellow-soldiers behind, who were subjected by a few weak and unarmed barbarians (barbaroi). Due to this, along with my negative response, I ordered that copies be posted in the forts of the quarries, so that the rest of the fellow-soldiers have a reminder. I command you to do this.”

ἀντίγραφον ἐπιστολῆς ῥωμαϊκῆς καὶ ἀποφάσεως | μεθερμηνμθ( ) κατὰ δυνατόν. Πωμπώνιος Φαυστιαν<ὸ>ς | Πρώβ<ω>ι τῷ ἰδίῳ χαίρειν. <ἐ>πέστησα κατὰ Ἰουλίου Σερήνου | στρατιώτου σπίρης ⟦\νουμέρου/⟧ τῆς αὐτῆς καὶ Κρεπερηίου Δον<ά>του | (5) στρατιώτου σπίρης τῆς αὐτῆς διὰ τὸ ἐνκαταλελοιπ|έναι αὐτοὺς τοὺς συνστρατιώταις, αὐτοὺς ὀλίγους τε | βαρβάρους ἀδυνάμους καὶ ἀνόπλους ὑποτα|γƐ̂ναι· διὰ τοῦτο σὺν τε̣ ἀποφάσει μου ἐκέλευ|σα ὧν ἀντιγραφαῖναι ἐν τοῖς πραισιδίοις | (10) τῶν μετάλλων προτηθέναι ἵνα τοῖς λοι|ποῖς <σ>υνστρατιώταις ᾖ ὑπομνηστέον. | {σε} ἡγη<σ>άμεν τοῦτό σε ποιῆσ<αι>.

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Other workers’ documents

[Letter by Petearoeris at an unknown location to Bekis working at the Mons Claudianus quarry, regadring “fear of the barbarians”]

OClaud inv. 4888, unpublished ostracon as described and partially translated by Cuvigny 2021, 424 (discarded ca. 145 CE, according to stratigraphy): Petearoeris to his father Bekis: “I want you to know that I have not eaten for two days because of the fear of barbarians (διὰ τὸν φόβον τῶν Βαρβάρων). Therefore, please, father, if we are relieved, that is fine. Otherwise, make an effort to have me transferred. Otherwise, I am going to break down. For my salary has not yet been brought (?) to me. No matter what I did in order to come, nobody let me go. Let me know what is happening where you are.”

Cf. OClaud II 221: “Bekis to Petearoeris, my son, greetings. Send me a bandage for my head because . . .” [remainder of letter not preserved].

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[Fragmentary letter from the workers at the Claudianus quarry regarding “fear of the barbarians”]

OClaud IV 851 = TM 118503 (ca. 175 CE): [Too fragmentary to translate].

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Source of translation: Harland.

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Barbarians: Roman soldiers and Egyptian workers on peoples of the eastern desert in Egypt (early second century CE)

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