Gaius Julius Apollinarius
(0399) Text: [(ἔτους) … Αὐτοκ]ράτορος Καίσαρος Τίτ[ου Αἰλίου] | [Ἁδριανοῦ] Ἀντωνίνου Σεβα̣[στοῦ Εὐσεβοῦς] | [Μεσορ] κθ’ . | [δηλῶ] ὀμνὺς τὸν ἔθιμο[ν τῶν Ῥωμαίων] | [ὅρκον ἀ]μφ[ο]τέρους μὲν ἐπικε[κρίσθαι] | [τὸν μὲ]ν̣ Ἀπολινάριον ὑπ[ὸ …] | […]νου τοῦ ἡγεμώ[νος …]
Translation: According to the orders. Year 10 of the Emperor Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius, Phamenoth 29. I report, swearing by the oath customary for the Romans that both have been selected, […] Apollinarius by Petronius [Mamertinus] the former prefect, [and …, by …]
Commentary: An oath attesting the veteran status of Apollinarius. Apollinarius probably has some Jewish heritage: his paternal great-aunt bears the name “Sambathion.” 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 Apollinarius. Apollinarius’ father 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) 2 Mar 147 CE
Bibliography: SB 24.15891*; Paul Heilporn, “Une vielle dette: P. Mich. IX, 568-569 et autres papyrus du grenier C123 de Karanis,” Chronique d’Égypte 85 (2010): 249-262 (258-261).