Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 154

Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 154 (P. Oxy. 154 or P. Oxy. I 154) is an account listing various payments, written in Greek and discovered in Oxyrhynchus. The manuscript was written on papyrus in the form of a sheet. The document was written in the late 6th century. Currently it is housed in the Egyptian Museum (10102) in Cairo.^[1]

Description

The recto side of this papyrus contains a list of payments of wine, oil, meat, etc., to various people. The verso contains a list of receipts and payments, partly in wheat and partly in money. The accounts on the verso side are of particular interest because of their comparisons between the relative values of different types of solidi. The measurements of the fragment are 300 by 545 mm.^[2]

It was discovered by Grenfell and Hunt in 1897 in Oxyrhynchus. The text was published by Grenfell and Hunt in 1898.^[2]

Excerpt from verso side

Given to Andronicus the sailor 70 artabae, and to Anoup and John, lawyers (?) and contractors of the racecourse, as payment for the 11th indiction, 60 artabae of wheat, remainder  482 ³⁄₄ artabae, 1 choenix of wheat. This, at 1 solidus less 4 carats on the private standard for every 10 artabae, is equivalent to  48 ⁹⁄₃₂ solidi less 193 carats on the private standard, that is, less  289 ¹⁄₂ carats or  12 ³⁄₄₈ solidi on the public standard, making  36 ⁷⁄₃₂ pure solidi on the public standard, which are equivalent to  36 ¹⁵⁄₃₂ solidi on the Alexandrian standard. ^[3]

To the banker  12 ¹⁄₈ solidi on the Alexandrian standard, also 1 solidus less 4 carats on the private standard, which is equivalent to   ⁸⁷⁄₉₆ solidus on the standard of Alexandria, total  13 ¹⁄₃₂ solidi on the Alexandrian standard, leaving  23 ⁷⁄₁₆ solidi on the Alexandrian standard. ^{[4] [2]}

See also

• Oxyrhynchus Papyri
• Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 144
• Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 153
• Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 155
• Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 2024

References

1. P. Oxy. 154 at the Oxyrhynchus Online
2. Grenfell, B. P.; Hunt, A. S. (1898). Oxyrhynchus Papyri I. London: Egypt Exploration Fund. pp. 234–6.
3. According to Grenfell and Hunt, the ratios between the solidi of the three standards (private, public, and Alexandrian) are roughly 161:145:146. The equivalences listed here match these ratios.
4. According to Grenfell and Hunt there is probably an error in this calculation. As stated above, a solidus on the private standard was worth   ¹⁴⁶⁄₁₆₁ of a solidus on the Alexandrian standard. Here 1 solidus less 4 carats, i.e.   ⁵⁄₆ solidus on the private standard is equivalent to   ⁸⁷⁄₉₆ of a solidus on the Alexandrian standard. They note that it is possible although unlikely that there was a large variation in the exchange rate. They think it much more likely, based on evidence from other papyri, that the discrepancy is due to an arithmetic error.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: B. P. Grenfell; A. S. Hunt (1898). Oxyrhynchus Papyri I. London: Egypt Exploration Fund.