Presbyters Uniwersytet Warszawski
ID
ER 2387
Sixteen Homoian clerics of the church of Anastasia in Ravenna (Italy), among them two presbyters Optarit and Vitalianus, sign the document which confirms the sale of land belonging to the church to the defensor Peter. The document on papyrus produced in Ravenna in 551.
P.Ital. 34 (Marini 119)
 
[...]
 
Hoc autem in solutum cessionis venditionisque documentum Deusdedit, forensi civitatis Classis Rav(ennatis), noto rogatarioque nostro, scri [75] bendum dictavimus (.) in quo subter, posteaquam nobis ad singula esṭ ab scribtore relictum, diligenter intelligentes manibus nostris suscribtiones vel signa inpraessimus (.), simul et testes pariter, ut susc[ri]berent, conrogavimus. Alligandi quoque archivalibus gestis, ubi ubi vel quandoque eligeritis (.), omissa nostra professione damus, tribui [80] mus et concedimus licentiam, stipulantique tibi Petro v(iro) r(everendo) def(ensori), conparatori, spopondimus nos q(ui) s(upra) (.), universus clerus, idest Optarit et Vitalianus praesb(yteri), Suniefridus diac(onus), Petrus subdiac(onus), Wiliarit et Paulus clerici (∶) nec non et Minnulus et Danihel, Theudila, Mirica et Sindila spodei (.), Costila, Gudelivus, Guderit, Hosbut et Be [85] nenatus ustiarii (:), Wiliarit et Amalatheus (.) idem spodei singuli et in solido invicem nos innodantes, in solutum cendentes ac venditores, ad omnia s(upra)s(cripta). Actum diae et decies p(ost) c(onsulatum) s(upra)s(crip)ti.
Ik Ufitahari, papa, ufm<el>ida handau meinai, jah andnemum skilliggans .j., jah faurþis þairh kawtsjon miþ [90] diakuna alamoda unsạrạṃma jah miþ gahlaiba[im] unsaraim andnemum skilliggans .rk. wairþ þize s[aiwe].
Signum † Vitaliani praesb(yteri), s(upra)s(crip)ti venditoris, qui f[acien]te invecillitate oculorum suscribere non potuit, signum f[ecit].
Ik Sunjaifriþas, diakon, handau meinai ufmelida, jah andn[emum] [95] skilliggans .j., jah fauþis þairh kawtsjon miþ diakon[a ala]moda unsaramma jah miþ gahlaibaim unsaraim andnemum sk[il]liggans .rk. wairþ þize saiwe.
Ego Petrus, subdiac(onus) aclisie gotice sancte Ạṇạstasie, uic in solutum [cessio]nis venditionisque et documentum padulis s(upra)s(crip)torum cum omnibus [ad se] [100] pertinentibus, a me vel s(upra)s(crip)tis collivertis(*) vel conministris(*) [mei]s fa[ctum vo-]bi, s(upra)s(crip)to Petro v(iro) r(everendo) def(ensori), conparatori, ad omnia s(upra)s(crip)ta relegi, consenṣị [et sus]cribsi, et testes, ut suscriberent, pariter conrogavimus, et pretiu[m] centu octoginta solidos, id est centum viginti per cautione aṇ[tea accepisse profitemur, et nunc de presenti(*) alios sexaginta sol[idos] [105] percipimus. [      ].
Signum † Wiliarit clerici, s(upra)s(crip)ti venditoris, qui facien[te] invecillitate oculorum suscribere non potuit ideoque signum f[ecit].
Ego Paulus, clericus eclesie legis Gothorum s(an)c(t)aẹ Anastasie, huic docuṃ[en-]tum a nobis factum suscribsi, et pretium auri solidos cento octuginta, ḥ[o] [110] c est cento viginti per cautione antea accepimus et nunc de pṛ[esenti] alius sexaginta solidos de presenti percipisse videmur pro padu[l]ẹ[s] s(upra)s(crip)tas.
[  ̣  ̣]ḷạ defensor huic docọmento a nobis facto suscrịṣbi, et pretio auri sọ[li]dos cento octoginta, h[o]c est centum viginti per cautione antea accep[isse vi]demur, de presenti alius xexaginta solidus de presenti perci[pisse] [115] videmur pro padules s(upra)s(criptas).  
Ego Willienanṭ huic documentụ(m) a nobis factu(m) suscribsi, et pretiu(m) auri solidos [centu(m)] octuginta, hoc est centum viginti per cautione antea accepimus, et nunc̣ [de pre]senti alius sessaginta solidos de presenti percipisse videmur pro padules suprascṛ[iptas].
Ego Igila huic documentum a nobis factu(m) suscripsi, et pretio auri solidos centụm vig[inti] [120] [p]er cautione antea accepimu(s), et nuc de praesenti alius sexaginta solidos de [presenti] percepisse videmur pro paluḍes suprascriptas.
Ego Theudila, clericus eclesiae s(upra)s(criptae) legis Gothorum s(an)c(t)e Anastasie, hụ[ic] documento de paludes s(upra)s(criptis) a novis factṭụm suscriṣsi, eṭ cento vigint[i so]lidus antea accipimus per cautione, et nunc de presenti alius ṣ[exa]- [125] g̣ịnta solidus accipimus, hac sic fient solidi centu octuginta.
Ik Merila, bokareis, handau meinai ufmelida, jah andnem[um] skilliggans .j., jah faurþis þairh kawtsjon jak miþ diaku[na ala]moda unsaramma jah miþ gahlaibim unsaraim andnemum s[killig]gans .r.k wairþ þize saiwe.
[130] Signum † Sinthilanis, spodei s(upra)s(crip)tae basilicae Gothorum, ve[n]ḍ[itoris].
Signum † Costilanis, ustiarii s(upra)s(crip)tae basilicae Gothorum, ṿẹṇḍ[itoris].
Signum † Gudelivi, ustiarii s(upra)s(crip)tae basilicae Gothorum, venditori[s].
Signum † Guderit, ustiarii s(upra)s(crip)tae basilicae Gothorum, vendịtoriṣ.
Signum † Hosbut, ustiarii s(upra)s(criptae) basilicae Gothorum, vẹ[nditoris].
[135] Signum † Benenati, ustiarii s(upra)s(criptae) basilice Gothorum, [venditoris].
Ik Wiljariþ, bokareis, handau mainai ufmelida, jah a[ndnemum] [s]killigngans .j., jah faurþis þairh kawtsjon jah ṃ[iþ diakuna] ạlamoda unsaramma jah miþ gahlaibaim unsaṛ[aim andnem]um skillịggans .r.k wairþ <þ>ize saiwe.
 
(ed. Tjäder 1982: 98-104)
P.Ital. 34 (Marini 119)
 
[...]
 
We, Deusdedit ordered a public notary of the city of Classe near Ravenna, known by us and entrusted with the task, to write down this document of cession and sell in which below, after everything was reread to us by the notary, we have diligently and with understanding signed with our signatures or we pressed down our marks. Similarly, we asked the witnesses to subscribe. We give it, leaving out our proclamation, to be joined to the archive, wherever or whenever you choose, we give and concede liberty and to you, the buyer vir reverendus defensor Peter we swear that we, as above, all the clergy, that is the presbyters Optarit and Vitalianus, the deacon Suniefredus, the subdeacon Peter, the clerics Wiliarit and Paul, also the spodei Minnulus, Danihel, Theudila, Mirica and Sindila, the ostiarii Costila, Gudelivus, Guderit, Hosbut and Benenatus, Wiliarith and Amaltheus, also the spodei, are the liquidators and sellers and we firmly commit ourselves to all those aforementioned matters. Given on the same day and the same tenth after the consulship as above.
I, Ufitahari, a presbyter, signed with my own hand, and we have received sixty solidi, and earlier we have received one hundred twenty solidi by a promissory note with our deacon acting on behalf of all of us and with our companions, as the value of the moorland.
The sign of the cross of the presbyter Vitalianus, the aforementioned seller, who could not write his signature because of the weaknes of his eyes, so he made this sign.
I, the deacon Sunjaifriþas, signed with my own hand, and we have received sixty solidi, and earlier we have received one hundred twenty solidi by a promissory note with our deacon acting on behalf of all of us and with our companions, as the value of the moorland.
I, the subdeacon Peter of the Gothic church of saint Anastasia, reread, agreed to and signed this document of liquidation and sale of the moorland with all that pertain to it as declared above, made by me and my fellow companions and ministers, for you, the buyer, vir reverendus, defensor Peter, regarding all that has been written above. And also we brought witnesses to sign, and we affirm that we received the price of hundred eigthy solidi, that is hundred twenty which we had received earlier in bond, and now at the present time we received the other sixty.
The sign of the cross of the cleric Wiliarit, the aforementioned seller, who could not write his signature because of the weaknes of his eyes, so he made this sign.
I, Paul, a cleric of the church of the Gothic law of saint Anastasia, sign this document made by us and we received the price of one hundred eighty solidi, that is one hundred twenty in bond before, and now, in the present time, we are known to receive the other sixty for the aforementioned moorlands.
I, [...] Defensor, signed this document made by us and we received the price of one hundred eighty golden solidi, that is one hundred twenty in bond before, and now, in the present time, we are known to receive the other sixty for the aforementioned moorlands.
I, Willienant, signed this document made by us and we received the price of one hundred eighty golden solidi, that is one hundred twenty in bond before, and now, in the present time, we are known to receive the other sixty for the aforementioned moorlands.
I, Igila, signed this document made by us and we received the price of one hundred eighty golden solidi, that is one hundred twenty in bond before, and now, in the present time, we are known to receive the other sixty for the aforementioned moorlands.
I, Theudila, a cleric of the abovementioned church of the Gothic law of saint Anastasia, signed this document concerning the aforementioned moorland made by us, and we received one hundred twenty solidi in bond and now, in the present time, we received the other sixty, which that way makes one hundred eighty.
I, Merila, the writer, signed with my own hand, and we have received sixty solidi, and earlier we have received one hundred twenty solidi by a promissory note with our deacon acting on behalf of all of us and with our companions, as the value of the moorland.
The sign of the cross of Sinthila, spodeus of the abovementioned basilica of the Goths, the seller.
The sign of the cross of Costila, spodeus of the abovementioned basilica of the Goths, the seller.
The sign of the cross of Gudelivus, spodeus of the abovementioned basilica of the Goths, the seller.
The sign of the cross of Guderith, spodeus of the abovementioned basilica of the Goths, the seller.
The sign of the cross of Hosbut, spodeus of the abovementioned basilica of the Goths, the seller.
The sign of the cross of Benenatus, spodeus of the abovementioned basilica of the Goths, the seller.
I, Wiljariþ,  the writer, signed with my own hand, and we have received sixty solidi, and earlier we have received one hundred twenty solidi by a promissory note with our deacon acting on behalf of all of us and with our companions, as the value of the moorland.
 
(trans. M. Szada)

Discussion:

In 535 the Homoian clergy of Saint Anastasia borrowed 120 solidi from the defensor Peter, a representative of the Nicene church in Ravenna, and put eight-twelfths of a marshland as a collateral. In 551, being unable to repay the loan, they decided to liquidate the security. They also needed some more money, so they sold to Peter the remaining four twelfths for sixty solidi (they received fifty in cash because they had to pay ten solidi of interest). These dealings indicate financial distress caused by the Gothic wars and the fall of Ostrogothic regime which supported the Homoian church in Italy. For the detailed commentary and German translation see Tjäder 1982: 91-98. Also Amory 1997: 252-56 and Cohen 2016.

Place of event:

Region
  • Italy north of Rome with Corsica and Sardinia
City
  • Ravenna

About the source:

Origin: Ravenna (Italy north of Rome with Corsica and Sardinia)
Denomination: Arian, Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian
The main part of the document was written down by Deusdedit, the official writer of the city of Classe, it seems. The Gothic clerics either signed the document themselves in Gothic or in Latin, or with the sign of the cross. In two cases, that of the presbyter Vitalianus and the cleric Wiliarit it is noted that they did that because of weak sight, so most probably they were literate and wanted to emphasise that they are physically hindered to write. All the spodei (the rank corresponds to the Gothic bokareis and means, the writer, scribe, or book-seller) and ostiarii sign with the cross, some of them might have been illiterate but they could sign the document like that also because of their low rank or poor eyesight.
 
The tenth year after the consulship mentioned in the text must be the tenth year after the consulship of Basilius Iunior in 541, so the document was made in 551 (see the note of Tjäder 1982: 273-4n32).
 
Edition:
G. Marini, I papiri diplomatici, Roma 1805, no. 119
J.-O. Tjäder, Die nichtliterarischen lateinischen Papyri Italiens aud der Zeit 445–700, v. 2, Stockholm 1982
Bibliography:
P. Amory, People and Identity in Ostrogothic Italy, 489–554, Cambridge 1997.
S. Cohen, "Religious Diversity”, [in :] A Companion to Ostrogothic Italy, ed. J.J. Arnold, M.S. Bjornlie, K. Sessa, Leiden 2016, 503–32.

Categories:

Non-Latin Origin - Gothic
Languages used - Germanic
Religious grouping (other than Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian) - Arian
Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος
Specific number of presbyters from the same church
Economic status and activity - Buying & selling
Relation with - Another presbyter
Relation with - Deacon
Relation with - Lower cleric
Relation with - Secular authority
Food/Clothes/Housing - Health & hygiene
Writing activity
Legal practice
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER2387, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=2387