The Menches Papers

A considerable portion of the papyri from the Tebtunis crocodile mummies once formed part of the archive of the komogrammateus (village scribe) of the nearby village of Kerkeosiris. Most documents date from the years 115–112 BC, when a certain Menches performed the duties of komogrammateus. There are also, however, documents from earlier and later years of Menches' tenure, as well as texts from his predecessor, whose identity is not known to us, and his successor Petesouchos (P. Tebt. I 29, 77, 78 )

The Menches papers can be divided in two groups, administrative documents and correspondence. The administrative documents form the core of the Menches papers. They consist of (often lengthy) reports, in which Menches details the state of affairs of every square meter of Kerkeosiris' area. He recorded the fiscal category to which each plot of land belonged, its holder, the crops sown upon it, and payments due to the state. Menches focused upon the royal domain (Crown land), from which the Crown could expect the most revenues. Each year, Menches drew up several documents in which he presented the crops with which the Crown land had been sown in a given year; he also composed extensive reports in which he listed all landholders in this category (the Crown tenants) with the size of their plot and the amounts (rent and land taxes) due to the Crown. An example of a report in which Menches gave a summary account of the crops sown on Crown land is P. Tebt. I 153.

The other part of the Menches papers consists of correspondence.  This correspondence includes official letters that were addressed to Menches by his superiors and peers in the Ptolemaic bureaucracy. An interesting example is P. Tebt. I 10, dated to 20 August 119 BC. It is a letter sent by Asklepiades, probably the basilikos grammateus (royal scribe), Menches' superior in the nome capital, to Marres, the topogrammateus (district scribe). In it, Asklepiades informs Marres that Menches has been appointed to the post of komogrammateus of Kerkeosiris by the dioiketes, the highest official of Ptolemaic Egypt. This letter was presumably given to Menches together with the "papers of office" referred to in the letter, which could explain why a letter addressed to Marres was found among the Menches papers.

Asklepiades to Marres, greeting.

Menches having been appointed to the post of komogrammateus of Kerkeosiris by the dioiketes on the understanding that he shall cultivate at his own expense 10 arouras of the land in the neighborhood of the village which has been reported as unproductive at a rent of 50 artabas, which he shall pay annually from the 52nd year (119/118 BC) to the Crown in full or shall measure out the deficiency from his private means, give to him the papers of his office and take care that the terms of his agreement are fulfilled. Goodbye. The 51st year, Mesore 3.

(addressed on the verso) To Marres, topogrammateus.

Another piece of correspondence is P. Tebt. I 31. In it, the topogrammateus Marres informed Menches about the change of ownership of a plot of land that went unnoticed by the Crown administrators. Copies of all the correspondence that led to Marres' letter were included.

(2nd hand) received in the 5th year, Phamenoth [day lost]

(1st hand) Marres to Menches, greeting. A copy is appended of the letter from Horos, basilikos grammateus, about the cession which he states has been made to Dionysios son of Dionysios by Menandros son of Pantauchos of a holding near Kerkeosiris. 5th year, Phamenoth [day lost]

Horos to Marres, greeting. Appended is a copy of the letter of Aristippos, superintendent of the arrangement of catoecic cavalry, about the cession which he states has been made by Menandros to Dionysios son of Dionysios. 5th year, Phamenoth 22 (= 9 April 112 BC).

Aristippos to Horos, greeting. I have appended a copy of the petition which has been presented to me by Dionysios son of Dionysios, a 'Macedonian', about the holding of 34 3/32 arouras near Kerkeosiris in the Division of Polemon which he states has been ceded to him by Menandros son of Pantauchos. Please therefore give instructions for the said land to be registered on your list too under his name. 5th year, Phamenoth 22 (= 9 April 112 BC).

To Aristippos, one of the 'first friends' and superintendent of the arrangement (of catoici), from Dionysios son of Dionysios, 'Macedonian'. As Menander son of Pantauchos has ceded to me his holding of 34 3/32 arouras near Kerkeosiris in the Division of Polemon, but the scribes being ignorant of the transaction which has taken place continue to register the aforesaid holding under the name of Menander, I beg you to direct a letter to be sent to the basilikos grammateus in order that he being informed may register the aforesaid 34 3/32 arouras under my name, and so I may obtain redress.

For examples of other official letters see: P. Tebt. I 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 55 ).

Another interesting feature of the Menches Papers is that they contain drafts of texts sent by Menches to colleagues. Unlike the finished versions dispersed to their recipients, these drafts remained in Menches' archive, and thus they give us a (rare) chance to examine Menches' expressions.

A fine specimen of such a text is P. Tebt. I 15. This text in fact consists of two drafts of letters to Horos, most probably the basilikos grammateus of that name. In the first draft, dated 18 August 114 BC, Menches informs Horos about events surrounding an attack upon another village official, the epistates Polemon. The second draft, which is unfortunately much mutilated, informs Horos about related events on the following day. In both drafts, Menches can be seen to make supralinear corrections (line 14), and to cross out words (lines 3 and 14). Here follows a translation of the first draft.

To Horos, greeting.

On the first of the current month at about the eleventh hour (= about 5 p.m.) a disturbance occurred in the village, and on running out we found a crowd of the villagers who had come to the assistance of Polemon, who is performing the duties of epistates of the village. When we inquired into the matter, they informed us that Apollodoros and his son Maron had assaulted Polemon; that Apollodoros had escaped, but Maron had been put in prison; and that the latter had appeared before Ptolemaios the king's cousin and strategos on the 1st. We thought it well to notify the matter for your information. Good–bye. The 3rd year, Mesore 2 (=18 August 114 BC).

For examples of other drafts of letters sent by Menches see: P. Tebt. I 9, 14, 38.

Finally, the Menches Papers contain quite a few petitions, addressed to Menches by villagers who were wronged in various ways and who petitioned Menches to obtain redress. These petitions provide a lively view on village life in Kerkeosiris at the end of the second century BC, although, of course, they only show the less regular sides of it.

The reasons for petitioning Menches ranged from violence, to theft, to being hindered in one's agricultural tasks.

In 114 BC, for example, Haruotes son of Phaesis petitioned Menches complaining about a violent attack upon him while he was in the temple of Isis (P. Tebt. I 44):

To Menches, komogrammateus of Kerkeosiris, from Haruotes son of Phaesis, cultivator of Crown land and an inhabitant of the said village.

While I was in the great temple of Isis here for devotional purposes on account of the sickness from which I am suffering, on the 23rd of Pachon of the 3rd year (=10 June 114 BC) Horos son of Haruotes, a resident in the aforesaid temple of Isis, picked a quarrel with me, and beginning with abuse and unseemly behavior he at last fell upon me and gave me many blows with the staff which he was carrying. Therefore, since in consequence of the blows my life is in danger, I make this statement to you in order that it may be forwarded by you to the proper officials and I may have it placed on record, so that if anything happens to me subsequently, he may not escape unpunished. Farewell.

(addressed on the verso) To the komogrammateus.

For examples of other petitions see: P. Tebt. I 40, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51v.