P.Columbia 408: First Three Lines

By Richard Carrier, Ph.D. (1999)

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     Etous tessares-kai-dekatou Autokratoros
     Kaisaros Titou Ailiou Hadrianou
     Antoninou Sebastou Eusebous Epeiph {kappa}{stigma}


During the fourteenth year [150 AD] of Emperor Caesar Titus Aelian Hadrian Antoninus Augustus Pius, on the 26th of Epeiph [July 20th]


This is how the fourth, and most complete tax receipt begins. Below the image is the Greek, first in the Greek then in the Roman alphabet, and finally the English translation of the first two lines. The first letter, E, is formed by the ostentatious curvy thing. T and O are easy to make out after that. The Y and S follow: S was often written as a bump (a fallen-over C-shape, the "lunar sigma"). The next T is partly damaged, but the next bump is a cursive E, followed by S, a space (the pen was lifted), and S again, followed by the pinched upward curl of a cursive A, then a half-formed R. As you can see, cursive Greek is not much like printed Greek, and letters often look alike (S and E, for example).

How do I know that TITOU and AILIOU are there, despite the holes? From the bottom right (third) receipt, these names appear, and I can see most of the letter traces here. Also, these names go with Emperor Antoninus Pius.

See the Whole Receipt ]