~Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists 51 (2014) 245-248
Charikleia Armoni, Das Archiv der Taricheuten Amenneus und Onnophris aus Tanis (P Tarich). Papyrologica Coloniensia 37. Paderborn: Ferdinand Schdningh, 2013. viii + 129 pages + 18 plates. ISBN
978-3-506-77934-2.
A(rmoni) here edits a small archive of mostly drafts of petitions in Greek
from 189-184 BC. A related Demotic text (15) is edited by H.-J. Thissen. There
are eighteen texts in all numbered 1-15 (4, 6, and 9 come in two versions each)
written on fifteen different papyri. All are illustrated on nine foldouts at the
back.
The texts are almost all related to the same issue (except 14, the Greek
translation of a Demotic division of property). Two Tap[xCUTa[ (also known as
cvTaptauTa) from Tanis in the north-eastern Fayyum (on which see PAgri),
Amenneus son of Horos and Onnophris son of Teos, are interested in the
position of TaptxFrTi in nearby Philadelpheia, a position alternatively called
ytpa Tap[xFecac or ytpa vTat~acttLov and left vacant by Psenephmous, a
TaP[XCuT'] from Philadelpheia. His position should have been confiscated and
put up for auction, because he was involved in the rebellion of 206-186 and died
without a uvyyFv1', i.e., without heirs. His property was confiscated and put
up for auction and remained in the hands of the successful bidder (6a.16-19
and 6b.18-23), but his position had not been put up for auction. Three other
Tap[xCUTa from Philadelpheia, Abykis, Pasis, and his son Kelechon(sis), had
taken over his position without bidding for it.
Amenneus and Onnophris try to get the authorities to overturn this situation in two stages. First, starting April 15, 189, they make the case with the
Alexandrian official in charge of the XPq aT[aTa[ while in Memphis that the
three incriminated TaP[XCUTa[ had no right to take over the vacant position
without the involvement of the authorities, because the confiscation (or, if
the confiscation were reversed, the mere fact that Psenephmous died without
heirs) should have led to a public auction. Amenneus and Onnophris do get
some traction, but the three use their influence with the police to prevent the
case from going forward, although a KaxcaTaaTc ("Gerichtsverhandlung" before the local XPq paT[aTa[ in Crocodilopolis; see 3.10-17n.) is called for twice
and Amenneus and Onnophris file an oath that they will appear at the hearing.
Onnophris then goes to Alexandria on September 3 or 4 to see the official in
charge of the XPq haT[aTa[ again, but instead of getting more traction with this
official's xpg aTxa 6g in hand, Amenneus and Onnophris are thrown in jail,
the IEy'Xq pUXQaK (1.20) in Crocodilopolis, on September 25. After a while
they petition the official in charge of ntapaapaytoi6, which apparently includes locking them up (pp. 14-15), to release them, claiming that he has been
