The times., 1899-12-31
eLIMPsEs OF EGYPTIAN LIFE.
Some Interesting Details From the
OXErynchus PnPyri.
From ~ ~ Man Gazettel

The second part OF Messrs. Grenfell and
Hunts "OxyTynchus Papyri EGYPT Ex
ploration FUND.- gives us a further glimpse
into the life led by colonists in Egypt dur
ing the early Christian centuries Although
il does not contain so many amusing pri-
vate letters as its predecessors, some of the
legal documents it reproduces are interest
ing. Witness what would nowadays be
called a bail bond given by one Theon TO
the Governor Of the prison of Zeus': Il
swear By TibeTius Caesar Novus Augustus
Imperator that / have thirty days in which
10 restore to you the man whom ! bailed
out OF the public prison in June of the
present year, Sarapion, son OF Sarapion, ar
rested through Billus, assistant 10 the dioe-
cetes magistrate for crown lands) on ac
count OF a note of hand for a gold bracelet
weighing two minae to Magianus on behalf
of Aline, citizen, daughter Of Dionysius. If
! do not produce him within the said num-
/ ber of days ! viii pay the said two mnae
I Of gold without delay, and I have no power
/ to obtain further period OF time, nor 10
/ transfer myself TO another prison" One
would like 10 know more Of the bachelor,
/ the eXtravagaut young Sarapion, who
I bought on credit a gold bracelet worth $40
/ OF our money for a lady of the city" +" and
/ what induced Theon TO 20 bail for him.
/ Was it merely good nature, or was he like
one of the professional balls, whose readt-
ness to 'perjure themselves before the
judges of the land for half a crown a
crime" so shocked Mr. Pickwick? The
/ class were certainly not unknown in Egypt
at the time.
Another papyrus in the same volume,
however leads one 10 think that Theon $
/ interest was of the would-be paternal kind.
/ "Syra daughter of Theou, complains TO
! the Chief Justice: I married Sarapion,
bringing him by cession a dowry amount
ing TO two hundred drachmae of silver.
/ As he was destitute Of means, ! received
him into my parents house and l for my
part conducted myself blamelessly in all
respects. But Sarapion, having squandered
my dowry as he pleased, continually III
treated and iusulted me, using violence
toward me, and deprivng me of the neces-
saries Of life; finally he deserted me, Ieav-
ing me in a state of destituton. l there-
fore beg you to order him TO be brought
before YOU, in order that he may be
compelled perforce to pay back my dowry
increased by half its amount" Evidently
Syra discovered too late that if the provert
about a reformed rake making the best
husband be true it is as Well TO see that
the rake is reformed before you commit
your fortune TO him.
The marriage yoke, however sat very
lightly upon these gay colonists. The mar
Sarapus a lady Of wealth who brings q
her husband tbesides expectations in th,
shape of house property, furniture anC
slaves upon her mothers DEATH foul
minae of gold, three dresses and some
twenty acres of land, expressly provide!
that if the young couple disagree and Sara.
pus shall wish to leave" Dionysius she
shall receive back her dowry less a pro
vision for any child of the marriage VIII,
shall prefer to remain with the father
Another papyrus shows such an arrange
ment at work, the lady in this case receiv
ing back her dOwTy after she had beer
married year, and each partner agreein,
that no claim should be made upon tn,
other
still more informal arrangement i
shadoWed in the deed between Tryphol an,
Saraeus, which was expressly stated no
to be a regular" marriage contract II
this case the lady contributes forty sIlve
drachmae, pair of gold earrings. and
milk white robe to the common fund unds
the form of loan to her quasi husband
who undertakes to repay the dowry, or it
equivalent in five months, and to provid
on separation for what Mr.. Kipling woul
call the almost inevitable consequences.
We know from other documents that tn
alliance worked well, and that although
TryphOQ took seven years TO repay tn
dowry, the two were living together TWEEN
, ty-three years after a son and daughte
. having been born to them. Trypho1
though only twenty eight years old, ha
been married before ~ lady name
Demetrus, from whom he was divorced
| TIE separation does not seem TO have pc
vented Demetrus from visiting his new IS
tablishment and humping her successor
of which there is a formal complaint t
, the magistrate. She must have been a lad
of violent temper, and 1t was most like,
by Avoiding her methods that Saraeus sue
ceeded IN retaining the Somewhat fugitly
affection Of Tryphon, A prescription fo
earache. containing poppy juice shows tn
medical use of opium to be older than ha
I, been thought.
a When you see a man with a ruddy complexion
D | healthy appearance, and a smiling countenanct
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