Associates in the Oasis

be that Pamour III and Pekysis made the rounds from town to town – or at least to major cities, such as Hermopolis and Antinoopolis – as ‘business agents’ or travelling vendors (circitores), on behalf of Psais II and Philammon II, perhaps as part of their apprenticeship.

They were not the only Kellites involved with textile business in the Nile valley. From the letters to and from these brothers we get glimpses of numerous colleagues and associates active in the Nile Valley, such as Antinou and Papnoute (pkc.78), Tithoes (pkc.72), and Tryphanes (pkgr.73). These appear largely to be associates, not ‘employees’ or agents. More prominent in the letters, however, are their recipients; the people who organised work back in the Oasis.

164

Tekysis seems to have had a similar position. She was involved in weaving, as seen in a request from Kapiton (pkc.75, l.40).⁴⁶⁸ In the same letter, Kapiton asks her about some gold.

A similar inquiry about a nomismation (i.e. a solidus or gold coin) is directed to her in pkc.78, this time by Papnouthes. One wonders if these sums were related to payment of the trade tax, the chrysargyron, as in pkgr.76 (for which, see section 7.4). There are other instances of Tekysis being relied on in case of monetary transactions as well: Pekysis asked Horos and Theognostos to make her settle with Lammon over 10 mna of wool (pkc.78), while a certain Pekos requested 100 T. to be retrieved from her by Pamour for an unknown debt (pkc.120).

Tekysis appears to have had financial responsibilities, perhaps in part due to the absence of her husband, Kapiton.

Theognostos, Psais III, and Horos I

Two other important actors to whom Pamour, Pekysis, and Philammon often turned for assistance were Theognostos and Psais III. They were, as we shall see, tasked with making purchases, receiving textiles, and organising textile production. Theognostos, whose original name was Louishai, may have been the elder of the two.⁴⁶⁹ While Theognostos’ own letters (pkc.83–84) are not visibly related to textile transactions, and Philammon mainly writes him concerning other matters in pkc.80, Philammon’s other two letters to him (pkc.81–82) deal with textiles. He entrusts Theognostos with finding someone to make clothes (pkc.81, ll.46–

48), and with getting money from ‘father’ Psais to pay for textile work (pkc.82, ll.22–24).

Theognostos is also the probable recipient of a request from Horion to have some textile repairs performed, although the letter itself is addressed to Horos (see pkc.17, ll.41–45).

Theognostos could also be the author of pkc.33, which discusses spinning-preparations for Heni (see section 11.1.2). It may be that he wove himself as well (see below, 6.2.3).

468 See also the occurrence of her name in the fragmented pkc.96 (l.1), perhaps by Pekysis.

469 For Louishai/Theognostos, see Gardner, Alcock, and Funk, CDT II, 118–19. Theognostos is greeted before Psais III by Pamour in pkc.67, and by Pekysis in pkc.78–79, and he appears first in Pekysis’ pkgr.72. Psais III is greeted first in pkc.65 and pkc.73, and is often the main addressee of their letters (pkc.70, pkc.72, and pkgr.71 by Pamour;

pkc.73 by Pekysis). However, Theognostos is the chief addressee of these brothers’ senior, Philammon (pkc.80–

82).

While Theognostos is mainly approached by Philammon, Psais III is mainly approached by Pamour/Pekysis. He, too, had responsibility for receiving textile materials and production:

he is solicited for warp and the cutting of garments (pkc.111, ll.24–38), wool for a stikharion garment (pkc.37, ll.28–31), and asked to fetch thread from the weaver Kame (pkgr.71, l.48).

He is often involved in money transactions. In one letter, Pamour III⁴⁷⁰ starts by addressing Pekysis regarding weaving and dyes. Turning to Psais, as translated by Gardner, Alcock, and Funk, he writes:

ⲛ̄ⲧⲁⲕ ϩ̣[ⲱⲕ ⲡⲁ]ⲥⲁⲛ ⲡϣⲁⲓ̈‧ ⲙ̄ⲙⲉ ϫⲉ [ . . . .] ⲁⲛⲁⲕ ⲡⲉⲧⲛⲁⲡⲱⲗϭ [ⲙⲛ̄] ⲛⲉⲛⲉⲣⲏⲩ ⲡⲁⲣⲁ ⲡⲉⲣ[ⲟⲥ ⲛ̄]ⲧⲉ ⲡⲥ̣ⲉϫⲉ ⲛ̄ⲧⲕⲉ̣ⲙⲛ[ⲁ ⲛ̄]ϫⲏϭⲉ̣

ⲟⲩⲱ‧ ϫⲉ ⲁⲛⲁⲣ̣[ⲱⲙⲉ] ⲧⲁϩ̣[ . . ]ⲧⲁⲩⲥ‧ ϣⲁⲧⲛ̅ⲣ̅[ⲁⲡⲁⲛ]ⲧⲁ ⲁ̣ⲛⲉⲛⲉⲣⲏⲩ‧ ⲧⲛ̄ⲙⲙ[ⲉ ⲧⲛ̅ⲣ̅]ⲡⲛ̄ⲱⲡ‧ ⲁⲣⲓⲙⲉⲣ⳿ ⲁⲗⲟ [ . . . . ] ⲡϩⲁⲙ̣ ⲧⲁⲭⲁ ϥⲥⲙⲛ̄ [ⲟⲩⲕⲟⲗ]ⲗⲁⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲛⲏⲓ‧ ⲧⲁⲙⲁϥ [ⲁⲣⲁϥ] ϯⲛⲁ vac ⲙⲁϩϥ̄ ⲛ̄ⲥⲟⲩⲛ̄ⲧ[ϥ̄ . . . ] ⲙⲛ̄ⲧⲣⲉϥⲥⲛⲉⲧ̣‧ ϥⲧⲙⲛ̄[ . . . ϥ]ⲥⲙⲛ̄ⲧϥ̄

For your part, you, my brother Pshai: Know that […] I am the one who will settle things among ourselves, and the matter of the other mna of dye will disappear, for my people (?) […] have bought it,- until we meet with one another and know more precisely and do our accounts. Take care of Lo […] the craftsman: Perhaps he can repair a collarium for me? Instruct him about it. I will pay its cost […] Do not let him pass by without […]-ing [and] repairing it. (pkc.103, ll.30–41)⁴⁷¹

Here we find both Pamour’s assertion of leadership, mentioned above. There are also clues as to the roles of Psais. The editors comment: ‘Is this the same mna of dye or dyed wool that the author has been discussing with Pekysis (l.8)? If so, it would seem that one brother is responsible for the weaving and the other for the financial accounts, presuming that that is what the author is now organising with Pshai.’⁴⁷² The suggestion that Psais III had responsibility for finances in the Oasis can find support in several other passages. Pamour asks him to arrange purchases and promises to disburse him (pkc.64, pkc.72). In pkc.108, Psais III himself discusses a cash payment for wool brought to him in Kellis. In pkc.102, he writes that he will make a man pay a debt (ll.22–23). Finally, in pkc.105, probably of a somewhat later date, he writes that he is attempting to acquire money through loans (or pawning) for the purchase of wool (ll.25–40) – although at this point he has travelled to the Nile Valley.

A third actor, often associated with these two, is ‘father’ Horos I. He appears to have been senior to both Theognostos and Psais III, and perhaps to Pamour III and Pekysis as well.

470 If, as is very likely, he is the author: see ibid., 196. Perhaps the lack of greetings from Maria indicates that she had died by this point. See section 3.2.1.

471 The editors note concerning ll.38–40: ‘Perhaps this should be translated less literally, something like: “Give a gentle reminder to Lo about the tailor – perhaps he has repaired my collarium?” … Of course, the translation

“tailor” supposes that the collarium is a fabric collar or neckband of some sort.’ ibid., 200, pkc.103, ll.38–40n.

472 Ibid., 199–200, pkc.103, ll.34–35n.

166

He sent requests from the Oasis to Pekysis in the Valley, asking Pekysis to make a papyrus-purchase (pkc.78, ll.16–35; pkc.79, ll.20–29) and to sell unspecified items (pkc.79, l.25), which implies that he himself had some responsibility for management (and/or writing). Horos I had sent Pekysis 1500 T., perhaps for the papyrus-purchase (ll.23–25). He may be the same ‘father’

Horos who is greeted in pkc.94, which concerns textiles, but here he is one among several who receive payments for a cloak. In Horion’s letters, too, we find that Horos is mainly concerned with other matters (in particular, the agape): it is Tehat/Hatres – and in pkc.17, Theognostos – who are responsible for textiles (see section 3.3.1). It would seem that Horos was not involved in the day-to-day running of the textile workshop, although he was clearly a figure of some authority.

It was primarily Theognostos and Psais III who organised business in Kellis. They did not stay continuously put either. Philammon discusses Theognostos’ going to the Valley (pkc.80, pkc.82). Theognostos and Horos are both away from Kellis – although still in the Oasis – in Philammon’s letter pkc.81, and this seems also to be the case in Theognostos’ own letters (pkc.83, pkc.84), which appear to be written to Kellis from a location in the Oasis. Some Pamour letters request that Psais III travel to the Valley (pkgr.71, pkc.72), and in the end Psais III acceded to this wish, as he wrote letter pkc.105 to Andreas from ‘Egypt’.

Perhaps this points us to the fate of the trade venture. Gradually, it seems that important figures of the Pamour archive – also those who had important roles in Kellis – travelled more frequently or even moved to the Nile Valley (see also section 4.4). It can only be speculated as to how this movement was linked with the unknown factors that led to the abandonment of the village around ca. 400.