A MACEDONIAN IN HELLENISTIC EGYPT
Thursday, June 3, 2010
παρὰ τὸ Ἕλληνά με εἶναι “PETITION ABOUT AN ASSAULT”: a document about an ethnic assault incident that happened in Memphis, in Hellenictic Egypt, in 163 BC.

Scripta Manent, the Latins said, “the written word remains”, and it speaks loud and clear about the Greek ethnicity of the Ancient Macedonians: τὸ Ἕλληνά με εἶναι / I am Greek, tells us Πτολεμαίος Γλαυκίου, Μακεδών / Ptolemaios son of Glaucias, the Macedonian, through the ages.
UPZ18
To Dionysios one of my friends and strategos, from Ptolemaios son of Glaukias, Macedonian (Πτολεμαίου τοῦ Γλαυκίου Μακεδόνος), one of those in katoche in the great Serapeum in Memphis in my 12th year. Being outrageously wronged and often put in danger of my life by the below-listed cleaners from the sanctuary, I am seeking refuge with you thinking that I shall thus particularly receive justice. For in the 21st year, on Phaophi 8, they came into the Astarteion in the sanctuary, in which I have been in katoche for the aforesaid years, some of them holding stones in theur hands, others sticks, and tried to force their way in, so that with this opportunity they might plunder the temple and kill me because I am Greek (παρὰ τὸ Ἕλληνά με εἶναι), attacking me in concerted fashion. And when I made it to the door of the temple before them and shut it with a great crash, and then ordered them to go away quietly, they did not depart; but they struck Diphilos, one of the servants compelled to remain by Sarapis, who showed his indignation at the way they were behaving in the sanctuary, robbing him outrageously and attacking him violently and beating him, so that their illegal violence was made obvious to everybody. When the same men did the same things to me in Phaophi of the 19th year, I petitioned you at that time, but because I had no one to wait on you it happened that when went went unwarned they conceived an even greater scorn for me. I ask you, therefore, if it seems good to you, to order them brought before you, so that they may get thei proper punishment for all these things. Farewell.
Mys the clothing seller, Psosnaus the yoke-bearer, Imouthes the baker, Harembasnis the grain-seller, Stoteotis the porter, Harchebis the doucher, Po…os the carpet weaver, and others with him, whose names I do not know.”
Greek Historical Documents: The Hellenistic Period, by Roger S. Bagnall and Peter Derow,Published in 1981 by SCHOLARS PRESS for The Society o Biblical Literature
The Original Greek Text:
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.05.0245%3Adocument%3D7
Date: 163BC
Location: Memphis
PParis36;pg648
ρ
Διονυσίωι τῶν φίλων καὶ
στρατηγῶι
Μακεδόνος τῶν ὄντων ἐν κατοχῆι
5 ἐν τῶι μεγάλωι Σαραπιείωι ἔτος
ἤδη δέκατον. ἀδικοῦμαι
ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν τῶι αὐτῶι ἱερῶι
καλλυντῶν καὶ ἀρτοκόπων
τῶν νυνὶ ἐφημερευόντων,
10 καταβαινόντων δὲ καὶ εἰς τὸ
Ἀνουβιεῖον, Ἁρχήβιος ἰατροῦ
καὶ Μυὸς ἱματιοπώλου καὶ
τῶν ἄλλων, ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα
ἀγνοῶ. τοῦ γὰρ 19 (ἔτους_ρπαρ; Φαῶφι 11
15 παραγενόμενοι ἐπὶ τὸ
Ἀσταρτιεῖον1, ἐν ὧι κατέχομαι
ἱερῶι, εἰσεβιάζοντο βουλό-
μενοι ἐκσπάσαι2 με καὶ ἀλο-
γῆσαι, καθάπερ καὶ ἐν τοῖς πρό-
20 τερον χρόνοις ἐπεχείρησαν
οὔσης ἀποστάσεως, παρὰ τὸ
Ἕλληνά με εἶναι. ἐπεὶ ο[ὖ]ν
ἐγὼ μὲν συνιδὼν αὐτοὺς
ἀπονενοημένους ἐμαυτὸν
25 συνέκλεισα, Ἁρμᾶιν δὲ
τὸν παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ εὑρόντες
ἐπὶ τοῦ δρόμου καταβαλόντες
ἔτυπτον τοῖς χαλκοῖς
ξυστῆρσιν. ἀξιῶ οὖν σε συν-
30 τάξαι γράψαι Μενεδήμωι
τῶι παρὰ σοῦ ἐν τῶι Ἀνουβιείωι
ἐπαναγκάσαι αὐτοὺς τὰ δίκαιά μοι
ποιῆσαι, ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ὑπομένωσιν,
ἐξαποστεῖλαι αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ σέ,
35 ὅπως διαλάβῃς3 περὶ αὐτῶν μισο-
πονήρως.
εὐτύχει.
Μενεδήμωι. προνοήθητι ὡς τεύξεται
τῶν δικαίων.
40 (ἔτους_ρπαρ; 19 Φαῶφι 19.
By: Miltiades Bolaris, assisted by Phoebos Apollon Bolari
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Miltiathi,
You are doing a fantastic job. Congratulations and keep up the excellent work you are doing. I am very proud of your work and I think all the rest of us would feel the same way. Nick Hodges. Cincinnati, Ohio.