The Family Letters of Paniskos
By J.G. Winter
The following letters came from Gerzah, the ancient Philadelphia, in
the Fayyum, and were purchased by the University of Michigan in 1923.
They belong to the latter part of the third century or the beginning of
the fourth and form part of a family archive representing the correspondence
of a certain Paniskos with Ploutogenia, his wife, and Aion, his brother,
as well as of Ploutogenia with her mother Heliodora.
The special value of a group of family letters lies in the fact that
they reveal more completely and distinctly than unrelated individual letters
can ever do the character of both writers and recipients. An interesting
illustration of this may be found in the well-known family archives in
P. Fay. 110-123 and B.G.U., IV, 1203-1209. A letter from a husband to
his wife may be filled with the common concerns which the papyri have
made abundantly familiar to us-- the details of petty business, various
wants, anxieties, commissions and the like-- and as such it has a value
which has been recognized by students of history and philology. When,
however, we know not only the husband's letter but also his wife's reaction
to it we are aware of an added element of humanity. Both husband and wife
then stand forth in a new light because we know the one not only directly
through his own utterances but also indirectly though the mood of the
other.
The chief memebers of his Greek familty reveal themselves, and are revealed,
with unusual distinctness. First, althouh perhaps not foremost in the
domestic economy, is Paniskos, the husband of Ploutogenia. All his letters
seem to have been written during his stay in Upper Egypt, and at least
three of them are in close sequence: 1367,
1365,
and 1364.
The first of these, 1367,
was written at Koptos, the modern Kuft, an important trading-centre below
Thebes on the Nile. This letter I regard as the earliest because in it
Paniskos takes particular pains to inform his wife where he is, assumes
that she will come to him, as soon as he sends for her-- an assumption
which proved fallacious-- and bids her in greated detail than elsewhere
to bring with her an assortment of food, weapons, and all his clothing.
He even adds the prudent counsel: "bring your gold ornaments when you
come but do not wear them on the boat." Then, too, there is no reference
here to a previous letter and none of the natural vexation which her conduct
inspires in 1364
and 1365.
From his references to various pieces of armour which he has left behind
and to his colleagues and the prefect "across the river" one would conclude
that he is a soldier in Upper Egypt, although it seems strange that hew
should have left so much of his fit in the Fayyõm. He may, of course,
be a small merchant engaged in the armour-trade. His wife and her mother
appear to be settled on small farms in Philadelphia.
We think of him as a man approaching, or in, the middle years, frank
in thought and speech, and taught by trial to preserve a fair amount of
philosophic calm. When Ploutogenia pays no heed to his parting injunction
about going to her home, he feels somewhat helplessly grieved about it,
remarking rather grimly that he is familiar with the excuse "mother does
this." He wants her to come to him but knows that he cannot compel her,
although he makes it sufficiently plain that she might write, if not about
the journey then at least about herself. He is solicitous for her repute
and safety, and sends her money and wool for her own use.
Of his daughter Heliodora, who seems to be his only child-- certainly
the only one specifically mentioned as such-- he seems genuinely fond,
not only remembering her constantly in his greetings and sending her money
for making anklets but also recommending her explicitly to the care of
Ploutogenia and of Aion, his brother. Even the mother-in-law, though she
seems to have exercised in fact the role commonly found in fiction, shares
his salutations in a manner which bears witness to the fine solidarity
of family life in ancient Egypt. Such salutations are, to be sure, largely
a formula of the period, but in the case of Paniskos they seem to be grounded
in sincerity and goodwill. That he is thoughtful of the members of the
family is further shown by his desire that Nonnos should travel in the
company of good men whien he journeys to Koptos.
In Ploutogenia we find traits which tend to increase our regard for Paniskos.
She has independence, resoluteness, and, on occasion, the gift of silence--
admirable qualities when viewed objectively but somewhat irritating when
one is at Koptos and expects compliance, consideration, and, above all,
replies to repeated letters. She has the habit of doing as she pleases
and justifying her course by an excuse whose novelty no longer impressed
Paniskos. She certainly has no intention of joining him at Koptos and
does not answer his questions on that subject, and even disregards the
unusual plea made by the letter-carrier. From a postscript in 1365,
and perhaps from 1365,
it appears that she did write in regard to armour. To her mother she writes
with singular force and directness. After a stay of eight months in Alexandria,
during which the daughter has had no letter, remarks sharply, "so you
regard me again not as your daugter but as your enemy" and proceeds at
once to give directions about pots and pans. Competent, with a will of
her own and some acerbity of temper, she doubtless dominated the family
circle.
Ploutogenia's daughter Heliodora, named after her maternal grandmother,
seems to be still a child but old enough to tend cattle if 1368.11
refers to her. Paniskos sends her money to be turned into anklets and
is solicitous for her welfare. Although she seems to have been the only
child the family circle is not small. We meet a sister of Ploutogenia
whose marriage is alluded to in 1362.16
and the same letter carries salutations to the elder Heliodora's children.
At Koptos Ploutogenia has a sister who has children, as well as brothers,
of whom Hermias alone is mentioned by name, doubtless because he is journeying
with Paniskos. Paniskos has a brother named Aion to whom he writes 1368.
Besides these there are others whose degree of relationship is not mentioned:
Ata or Atat, who may be an Egyptian neighbour, Papylion, whose armour
is twice requested by Paniskos, Nonnos, who has children and is apparently
planning a journey to Koptos, Sarapion, Cornelius, and finally Anilla.
Ploutogenia's letter to her mother, written in Alexandria, is in a fairly
large, easily flowing cursive which may have been her own, but it is much
more likely to have been that of a well-practised letter-writer to whom
she dictated.
Paniskos' letters, too, seem to have been dictated. This would explain
the error of Protogenia for Ploutogenia in 1369.1,
an unpardonable mistake if the husband were himself the writer, and would
account also for the spelling of his daughter's name ÑIliodvra
for ÑHliodvra in the same letter.
The style of writing, moreover, varies noticeably in his letters. The
use of flourishes and the marked separation of words in 1367
set it apart from the rest palaeographically; 1364
and 1369
show individual characteristics which seperate them from each other as
well as from the others in the group, but the person who wrote 1365
may also have written 1366
and 1368.
For a complete list of the Letters of Paniskos, click here.
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