{"id":21181,"date":"2024-06-05T09:43:43","date_gmt":"2024-06-05T13:43:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/?p=21181"},"modified":"2024-06-05T11:58:59","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T15:58:59","slug":"egyptians-ammonios-papyrus-letter-on-inhuman-egyptians-third-century-ce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/2024\/06\/egyptians-ammonios-papyrus-letter-on-inhuman-egyptians-third-century-ce\/","title":{"rendered":"Egyptians: Ammonios&#8217; papyrus letter on &#8220;inhuman Egyptians&#8221; (third century CE)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><em>Ancient author:<\/em><\/strong> Ammonios (third century CE), <em>Oxyrhynchos Papyri \/ POxy<\/em> XIV 1681 (<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/oxyrhynchuspapyr14grenuoft\/page\/n8\/mode\/1up\">link<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/papyri.info\/ddbdp\/p.oxy;14;1681?rows=3&amp;start=55&amp;fl=id,title&amp;fq=collection:ddbdp&amp;fq=(ddbdp_series:p.oxy+OR+hgv_series:p.oxy+OR+dclp_series:p.oxy)&amp;fq=(ddbdp_volume:14+OR+hgv_volume:14+OR+dclp_volume:14)&amp;sort=series+asc,volume+asc,item+asc&amp;p=56&amp;t=148\">link<\/a> to papyri.info).<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Comments: <\/em><\/strong>This letter by Ammonios (likely writing from somewhere near Oxyrhynchos) opens with his (perhaps facetious but at least exaggerated) concern that he will be perceived as uncivilized or even as an &#8220;inhuman Egyptian&#8221; for living deeper into Egypt. The point here is that this personal letter reflects everyday denigration of Egyptians on the part of Greeks. It was not uncommon to cast aspersions on rivals by labelling or treating them as a lowly &#8220;Egyptian&#8221; (e.g. Josephos on Apion \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/2022\/06\/judean-jewish-perspectives-josephus-against-apion-in-full-late-first-century-ce\/\">link<\/a>; Philo on Judeans being treated as though Egyptians \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/2022\/10\/judeans-greeks-and-egyptians-philo-on-conflicts-at-alexandria-and-on-rebellious-egyptians-mid-first-century-ce\/\">link<\/a>). And accusing someone of &#8220;Egyptianizing&#8221; and therefore of evil or underhanded behaviour was a standard slur for quite some time (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/2024\/04\/egyptians-lydians-and-other-peoples-kratinos-aristophanes-suetonius-and-others-on-egyptianizing-and-other-ethnicizing-stereotypes-sixth-century-bce-on\/\">link<\/a>). But this letter shows this ethnic prejudice went beyond the polished productions of the literary elites.<\/p>\n<p>\u2017\u2017\u2017\u2017\u2017\u2017\u2017<\/p>\n<p>[front] Ammonios to the brothers [perhaps fictive], Julius and Hilarus, many greetings! You are, my brothers, perhaps considering me a barbarian or an inhuman (<em>ananthr\u014dpos<\/em>, i.e. <em>apanthr\u014dpos<\/em>) Egyptian [i.e. for living deeper into Egypt than the recipients]. However, I claim that it is not the case because, first of all, you have had a partial proof of my disposition. Moreover, many reasons have pressured me to go to my friends: in the first place my wish to see them after a year\u2019s interval and, secondly, my desire to leave Egypt before winter. So I hope that after three days I will also come to you and tell you my news. Greet my sister Hieronis with Julius her husband and Isidora (?) with her. . .\u00a0 [<em>remainder of letter lost<\/em>].<\/p>\n<p>[back] Deliver to my brothers Julius and Hilarus from Ammonios.<\/p>\n<p>{recto} \u1f08\u03bc\u03bc\u03ce\u03bd\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2 \u1f38\u03bf\u03c5\u03bb\u03af\u1ff3 | \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f39\u03bb\u03ac\u03c1\u1ff3 \u03c4\u03bf[\u1fd6]\u03c2 \u1f00\u03b4\u03b5\u03bb|\u03c6\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03c0\u03bb\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c3\u03c4\u03b1 \u03c7\u03b1\u03af\u03c1\u03b5\u03b9(\u03bd). | \u1f34\u03c3\u03c9\u03c2 \u03bc\u03b5 \u03bd\u03bf\u03bc\u03af\u03b6\u03b5\u03c4\u03b5, ||\u1f00\u03b4\u03b5\u03bb\u03c6[\u03bf]\u03af, \u03b2\u03ac\u03c1\u03b2\u03b1\u03c1\u03cc\u03bd \u03c4\u03b9|\u03bd\u03b1 \u1f22 \u0391\u1f30\u03b3\u03cd\u03c0\u03c4\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd \u1f00\u03bd\u03ac\u03bd|\u03b8\u03c1\u03c9\u03c0\u03bf\u03bd \u03b5\u1f36\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9. \u1f00\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70 \u1f00|\u03be\u03b9\u1ff6 \u03bc\u1f74 \u03bf\u1f55\u03c4\u03c9\u03c2\u0323 [\u1f14]\u03c7\u0323\u03b5\u03b9\u03bd, | \u03c0\u03c1\u1ff6\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03bc\u1f72\u03bd \u1f00\u03c0\u1f78 \u03bc\u03ad||\u03c1\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u03c0\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c1\u03b1\u03bd \u03bb\u03b1\u03b2\u03cc\u03bd|\u03c4\u03b1\u0323\u03c2\u0323 \u03c4\u1fc6\u03c2 \u1f21\u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u03ad\u03c1\u03b1\u03c2 | \u03b3\u03bd\u03ce\u03bc\u03b7\u03c2, \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03bb\u0323\u1f70\u0323 \u03b4\u03ad\u0323 | \u03bc\u03b5\u0323 \u1f24\u03c0\u03b5\u03b9\u03be\u03b5 \u03c0\u03c1\u1f78\u03c2 \u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 | \u1f10\u03bc\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u03b3\u03b5\u03bd\u03ad\u03c3\u03b8\u03b1\u03b9, \u03c0\u03c1\u1ff6||\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03bc\u1f72\u03bd \u03c4\u1f78 \u03b4\u03b9\u02bc \u1f10\u03bd\u03b9\u03b1\u03c5|\u03c4[\u03bf]\u1fe6 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u03b8\u03b5\u03ac\u03c3\u03b1\u03c3\u03b8\u03b1\u03b9, \u03b5\u1f36|\u03c4\u03b1 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03b2\u03bf\u03cd\u03bb\u03b5\u03c3\u03b8\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c0\u03c1\u1f78 | \u03c7\u03b5\u0323\u03b9\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03bb\u1fd6|\u03c8\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c4\u1f74\u03bd \u0391\u1f34\u03b3\u03c5\u03c0\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd. || \u1f10\u03bb\u03c0\u03af\u03b6\u03c9 \u03bf\u1f56\u03bd \u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u1f70 | \u03c4\u03c1\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f10\u03b3\u1f7c \u03c0\u03c1\u1f78\u03c2 | \u1f51\u03bc\u1fb6\u03c2 \u1f10\u03bb\u03b8\u03b5\u1fd6\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 | \u03c4\u1f70 \u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u1f76 \u1f10\u03bc\u03bf\u1fe6 \u1f51\u03bc\u1fd6\u03bd | \u1f10\u03be\u03b7\u03b3\u03ae\u03c3\u03b1\u03c3\u03b8\u03b1\u03b9. \u1f00\u03c3\u03c0\u03b1||\u03c3\u03b8\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c4\u1f74\u03bd \u1f00\u03b4\u03b5\u03bb\u03c6\u1f74\u03bd | \u1f39\u03b5\u03c1\u03c9\u0323\u03bd[\u03af]\u03b4\u0323\u03b1 \u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u1f70 \u1f38\u03bf\u03c5|\u03bb\u03af\u03bf\u03c5 \u03c4\u03bf[\u1fe6 \u03c3\u03c5]\u03bc\u0323\u03b2\u0323\u03af\u03bf\u03c5 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 | \u1f38\u03c3\u03b9\u03b4\u03ce[\u03c1\u03b1\u03bd(?)] \u03bc\u0323\u03b5\u0323\u03c4\u1f70\u0323 \u03c4\u0323\u1ff6(\u03bd) | [ \u0323 \u0323] \u0323 \u0323[\u2066 -ca.?- \u2069] | &#8212; &#8212; &#8212; &#8212; &#8212; &#8212; &#8212; &#8212; &#8212; &#8212;<\/p>\n<p>{verso} || \u1f00\u03c0(\u03cc\u03b4\u03bf\u03c2) \u1f38\u03bf\u03c5\u03bb\u03af\u1ff3 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f39\u03bb\u03ac\u03c1\u1ff3 \u1f00\u03b4\u03b5\u03bb\u03c6\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2 | \u03c0(\u03b1\u03c1\u1f70) \u1f08\u03bc\u03bc\u03c9\u03bd\u03af\u03bf\u03c5.<\/p>\n<p>\u2017\u2017\u2017\u2017\u2017\u2017\u2017<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Source of translation: <\/em><\/strong>B.P. Grenfell and A.S. Hunt, <i>The Oxyrhynchus Papyri<\/i>, vol. 14 (London: Egypt Exploration Society, 1920), public domain, adapted by Harland.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ancient author: Ammonios (third century CE), Oxyrhynchos Papyri \/ POxy XIV 1681 (link; link to papyri.info). Comments: This letter by Ammonios (likely writing from somewhere near Oxyrhynchos) opens with his (perhaps facetious but at least exaggerated) concern that he will be perceived as uncivilized or even as an &#8220;inhuman Egyptian&#8221; for living deeper into Egypt. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[71,222,353,90],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-02-greek-and-roman-ethnography-on-barbarians","category-b-southern-peoples","category-c-papyri-ancient-paper","category-egyptians"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21181"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21181\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21192,"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21181\/revisions\/21192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}