Gaius Julius Sabinus and Gaius Julius Apollinarius
(0390) Text: […] ἔτους δευ̣[τέρου Αὐτοκράτορος Κα]ίσαρος [Τρ]αι[α]νοῦ Ἁδρι[α]νοῦ [Σεβαστοῦ] | [τάδε διεθέμην νοοῦσα καὶ φρο]νοῦσα Σαμβάθιον Νείλου τοῦ Νείλου τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς μητροπόλεω[ς ὡς ἐτῶν … ἀσθενὴ]ς τὰς ὄψεις μετὰ | [κυρίου τοῦ … Σωκρά]τους τοῦ Σαραπίωνος τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς | μητροπόλεως ὑπο […] | [ τ]οὺς γεγονότας | [ἐπὶ … τοῦ γε]νομένου ἀρχιδικαστοῦ ὑπομνηματισμοὺς ὧν χρόνος τοῦ ἐνε[στῶτος ἔτους …]οι καὶ μέ[ν]ειν | […] ὑπὸ Ἀπολλωνίου νεωτέρου τοῦ Σαραπίωνος τῶν ἐκ τοῦ καταλ[ογείου Σα]βείνου τοῦ […] | […] τῆς ἐγβατηρ[ί]ας. εἴη μέν μοι ὑγιαινούσῃ τῶν ἐμαυτῆς κυρία[ν εἶναι …] καθʼ ὃν ἐὰν αἱ- | [ρῶμαι τρόπον· ἐὰν δέ τι πάθ]ω ἀνθρώπινον ὁ ὑπάρχων μοι δοῦλος Ἀβάσκαντος οἰκογεν[ὴς …]ο τοῦ μετηλλαχό(τος) | […] τοῦ Ἀπίωνος κατὰ συνγραφὴν γεγονυῖαν διὰ τοῦ ἐν κώμῃ [Καρανίδι γρ]α̣φίου τῶν βουλομ(ένων) | […] Καισαρείῳ οὖσα ἐν δραχμαῖς χιλίαις ἑκατὸν καὶ τὰ δὲ δημ[όσια … κ]αὶ ὅσα ἐὰν ἄλλα | [… το]ῦ ἀδελ̣φ̣οῦ μου Νείλου υἱοῦ Ἰουλίου Σαβείνου τῶν ἀπὸ λε[γιῶνος ὡς δὲ] πρὸ τῆς στρατει(ᾶς) | […] τοῦ καὶ Σαβείνου τοῦ Νείλου υἱοῦ Γαίου Ἰουλίου Ἀπο[λλιναρίου …]ιτης ̣| […]ος μου περιστολὴν καὶ κηδείαν παρακαλῶ ποιήσ[α]σθαι το[…] | […] ὑπάρχοντί μοι ἐν τῇ προγεγ̣ρ̣α̣μ̣μ̣έ̣νῃ Καραν[ί]δι […]αφω[…]
Translation: Text is too fragmentary to translate.
Commentary: Sabinus and Apollonarius probably have some Jewish heritage: their aunt/great-aunt bears the name “Sambathion” (this is her will). While the name Sambathion does not prove with certainty his Jewish ancestry, it remains likely. Tcherikover notes the mix of Roman, Greek, and Egyptian names in the family (CPJ). Several other letters from the family have been found but are omitted from those collected here – these are limited to those mentioning Sabinus and his son Apollinarius. Sabinus’ son Apollinarius was also a soldier of legio III Cyrenaica. See the fuller discussion of the family’s archive in Elinor M. Husselman, ed., Papyri From Karanis, Third Series: Michigan Papyri IX 29 (Cleveland: The Press of Case Western Reserve University, 1971), 5-8; K. Vandorpe, W. Clarysse and H. Verreth, Graeco-Roman Archives from the Fayum, Collectanea Hellenistica 6 (Leuven: Peeters University Press, 2015), 186-198.
Provenience: Karanis, Egypt (near Fayuum, Egypt) 117-118 CE
Bibliography: P.Mich. 549; a re-edition is forthcoming in P.Mich. vol. 22