From NovaRoma
A Mystery Oath
This third century Oxyrhynchus papyrus was published by Bartoletti as n. 1162 in Papiri, Greci e Latini (= PSI) X. While the text is quite fragmentary, it clearly records an oath taken in the context of some astral mystery cult (l. 21, ἀστέρων). The καυτοπαυ (= Καυτοπάτου?) in l. 14 suggests that this may be a Mithraic text. Although, much better attested in other parts of the Roman empire, Roman Mithraism did have a (minimal) presence in Egypt (c.f. CIMRM 91-105). Then in 1937 Bartoletti published another papyrus fragment with substantially the same oath formula in "Frammenti di un rituale d'iniziazione ai misteri" in Annali della R. Scuoli Normale Superiore de Pisa (Pisa: 1937) 143-152.
This new fragment allowed him to make some fairly certain restoration for the beginning of PSI 1162. Lines 1-6 can be restored with certainty (indicated in bold green), the others a bit more speculatively (indicated in bold light green). Lines in blue in the new fragment indicate those lines used for the restoration. Lines 14-17a in the new fragment are pluses and suggest that the new fragment is secondary to PSI 1162. Bartoletti also made some minor adjustments (in bold red) to other parts of the text. The English translation below is that of M. Cornelius Gualterus Graecus.
| Reconstructed PSI 1162 |
New Fragment |
PSI 1162
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[Ὀμνύω κατὰ τοῦ διχάσ]αντος γῆν ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ
[καὶ σκότος ἀπὸ φωτὸς κ]αὶ ἡμέραν ἐγ νυκτὸς
[καὶ ἀνατολὴν ἀπὸ δύσ]εως καὶ ζωὴν ἀπὸ θα-
[νάτου καὶ γένεσιν ἀπὸ] φθορᾶς ἐπόμνυμαι
[δὲ καὶ οὓς προσκυνῶ θ]οὺς συντηρήσειν
[καὶ φυλάξει τὰ παραδ]εδομένα μοι μυστή-
[ρια καὶ τιμήσειν ? τὸν] πατέρα Σαραπίωνα
[ῷ τὸ μυεῖν ὑπάρχει, καὶ] τον ἱεροκήρυκα Κα-
[....., ῷ τὸ ὁρκίζειν ὑ]ράρχει, καὶ τοὺς συν-
[αὐτοῖς ὄντας λοιπο]ὺς ἀδελφούς. Εὐορκοῦ(ν)-
[τι μέν μοι εὖ εἴη, ἐπιορ]κοῦν[τι δὲ τ]ὰ ἐναν-
[τία, ἐάν τι τούτων ἐκλαλ]ήσω.
........................τ]ὸν π[ατέρα ?..]ι ὁμοι-
...................................]καυτοπαυ
...................................]τ̣οῖς ὀξέσιν
...................................]σ̣φραγεῖδες
...................................]σημειῶσ̣ι̣
...................................τῷ μ]ύστῃ ὁ πα-
τὴρ................................]σερ.ι
...................................]
...................................]μ' ἀστέρων
................................]λ̣ε διαστητε
................................]ν ἤμειβεν ον-
................................]η̣τε καὶ ενον
................................]τ̣ροματηρ
..................................]ηκωσιν
...................................]ητων.ν
....................................].σ̣ο̣[
.....................................].[
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[...]φ̣[.]η̣χ̣ε[
[...]μ̣εγάλῃ φων̣[ῃ ..]...[.... ὁ πα-]
[τὴρ τ]ὸ̣ν̣ μ̣έ̣στην π̣[ροσ]αγα̣γ̣έτω̣ [....]
[...].α̣τ̣ω̣ντα ἐν̣ φ̣[.].μ̣ω τεσσα[....]
[....]ε δ̣αῇ̣ περ̣ὶ τὸν λ̣είποντα[.....]
[....] α̣ὐ̣τεῖν, καὶ στησάτω μέσ[ον ἐπὶ?]
[τοῦ] δ̣ιαθέματος̣ καὶ ἐξορκούτω̣ [διὰ]
[τοῦ] κήρυκος 'Ασ̣τ̣υ̣δά[μα]ντος.
Ὅρκος ὑπ̣[ὸ κήρ]υ̣κος
[Ὀ̣μν]ύω κατὰ τοῦ διχά̣σαντος̣ κ[αὶ κρί-]
[ναν]τ̣ος τὴν γῆν ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ κα[ὶ σκότος]
[ἀπὸ] φ̣ωτὸς κ̣α̣ὶ̣ ἡμέραν ἐκ νυ̣[κτὸς]
[καὶ ἀ]νατολὴ̣ν ἀπὸ δύσεως κ̣α̣ὶ̣ [ζωὴν]
[ἀπὸ] θ̣ανάτ̣ο̣υ̣ καὶ γένεσιν ἀπ[ὸ φθορᾶς]
[καὶ μ]έλαν̣ [ἀ]π̣ὸ λευκοῦ καὶ ξηρὸ[ν ἀπὸ]
[ὑγρ]ο̣ῦ καὶ ε.[..].ον̣ ἀ̣π̣ὸ̣ ....[.. καὶ]
[πικ]ρὸν ἀπὸ γ̣λ̣υκέως κ̣α̣ὶ̣ σ̣άρκ̣[α ἀπὸ]
[ψυχ]ῆς: ἐπόμνυμαι δὲ καὶ οὓς π̣[ροσκυνῶ]
[θεο]ὺς συντηρήσειν καὶ φυλά[ξει
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]α̣ντος γῆν ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ
]αι ἡμέραν ἐγ νυκτὸς
]εως καὶ ζωὴν ἀπὸ θα-
] φ̣θορᾶς ἐπόμνυμαι
]ους συντηρήσειν
]εδομένα μοι μυστή-
] πατέρα Σαραπίωνα
.]τον ἱεροκήρυκα Κα-
.]παρχει, καὶ τοὺς συν-
.]υς ἀδελφούς. εὐορκοῦ(ν)-
.]κοῦν[τι δὲ τ]ὰ ἐναν-
.]ήσω.
.]ον π̣[.......]ι ὁμοι-
........]καυτοπαυ
........]τ̣οῖς ὀξέσιν
........]σ̣φραγεῖδες
........]σημειῶσ̣ι̣
........]υστηοπα
........]σερ.ι
........]
........]μ' ἀστέρων
....]λ̣ε διαστητε
....]ν ἤμειβεν ον-
....]η̣τε καὶ ενον
....]τ̣ροματηρ
....]ηκωσιν
....]ητων.ν
......].σ̣ο̣[
.......].[
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[I swear by him who separates] earth from heaven,
[and darkness from light, a]nd day from night,
[and rising from set]ting life from de-
[and generation from] corruption, I swear
[to the gods which I beseech] to observe
[and guard the] myst[eries] [transm]itted to me
[and to honor the] father Sarapis
[for whom there is closure (?), and] the herald of sacrifice Ka-
[for whom it is to adjure, and
[and the rest] of the brothers [who are with them].
[May it go well for me who is] faithful and who swe]ars in
[the presence (?) if any of these things] I should divulge.
...Cautopates
...with the sharp
...seals
...
...to the initiate [the fa-
er...
...
...of stars
...you separate
...he changed
...and...
...
...
...
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...
...great voice...
.................may
[the father] draw together...
.................four...
...he teaches concerning the remaining...
..to cry out, and may he stand...
[of the] prize, and may he swear [through]
[the] herald Astuda(mas?).
An oath under a herald
I swear by him who divides a[nd separates]
the earth from heaven an[d darkness]
[from] light and day from ni[ght]
[and r]ising from setting and [life]
[from] death and generation fro[m corruption]
[and b]lack [f]rom light and drynes[s]
[from wet]ness and ... from ... [and]
bitter[ness] from sweatness and fles[h from]
sou[l]: I swear to the [god]s which I b[eseech]
to observe and gua[rd
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...earth from heaven,
...day from night,
...life from de(ath?)
...corruption, I swear.
...to observe
...to me myst-
...father Sarapis
...herald of sacrifice
...is the
...brothers. Faithful to one's oath
...
...
...Cautopates
...with the sharp
...seals
...
...
...
...
...of stars
...you separate
...he changed
...and...
...
...
...
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A Mithraic Catechism
This fourth century papyrus, P.Berol. 21196, from Hermopolis, was published by William M. Brashear in 1992, A Mithraic Catechism from Egypt <P.Berol. 21196> (Wien: 1992). The word λεοντίῳ ultimately clinched it as a Mithraic text (13-16), while other words such as πατήρ and βόθρῳ had earlier suggested a Mithraic provenance. Brashear's publication is highly recommended for its extensive commentary and suggested restorations of several lines. The English translation below is that of Brashear (19).
| Verso |
Recto
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.........]υ̣οημις. ἐ̣ρ̣ε̣ῖ̣· π̣ο̣[ῦ
.....ἐντ]αῦθ' ἀπορεῖ; λέγε· α[ +/- 7]
......]λέγε· νύξ. ἐρεῖ· ποῦ αν.[ +/- 5]
....].σε; λέγε· π̣άντ̣α̣ τι ὑπερ̣...[..]
..]κέκλησαι; λέγε· διὰ τὴν θερινὴν̣
..].ι γενόμενος πυρώδεις ἔχει τὰς
..]α̣βες; λέγε· ἐν̣ βόθρῳ. ἐρεῖ· ποῦ σ̣ου
..]ά̣τῳ λεοντίῳ. ἐρεῖ· ζώσεις ὁ ου
]ν̣ θάνατον. ἐρεῖ· διὰ τί ζωσάμεν̣[ος]
.τ]οῦτο τ̣έσσαρα κράσπετα ε.[...]
........] traces [
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...................]..[
.........] ὀ̣ξύτατον καὶ το̣π[.]ρ[..............................]
..........]..σου πολύ̣ς. ἐρε̣ῖ̣·.[.......... +/- 27 ...........]
......θ[ερμοῦ καὶ ψυχρο̣ῦ. ἐρε̣ῖ̣· [..... +/- 27 ..........]
[π]ορφύρᾳ λίνῳ. ἐρεῖ· διὰ τί; λέγε· [ +/- 20 ..........]
π̣ορφύρα ἀκμή, τὸ δὲ λίνον απ[...... +/- 20 ..........]
ἐσπαρ[ε]γανώθη̣; λ̣έγε· τὰ τοῦ σω[τῆρος ? +/- 11 ]
ἐρεῖ· τίς ὁ πατήρ; λέγε· ὁ πάντα γε̣ν̣[νῶν .. +/- 13 ]
ἐγένου λέων; λέγε· ταῖς τοῦ πατρ[ός .... +/- 14 ....]
[..]λ̣έγε̣· ποτὸν καὶ τροφήν. ἐρε̣[ῖ·
..............]τ̣ηνη ἐν τῇ ἑπτα̣[
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"... He will say: 'Where ... ?'
'... he is/(you are?) there (then/thereupon?) at a loss?' Say: ...
Say: 'Night'. He will say: 'Where ... ?' ...
Say: 'All things ...'
(He will say): '... you are called ... ?' Say: 'Because of the summery ...'
... having become ... he/it has the fiery ...
(He will say): '... did you receive/inherit?' Say: 'In a pit'. He will say: 'Where is
your ...?...
(Say): '...(in the...) Leonteion.' He will say: 'Will you gird?' The (heavenly?)
...(Say): '... death'. He will say: 'Why, having girded yourself, ...?'
'... this (has?) four tassels'.
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'Very sharp and ...'
'... much'. He will say: ...?
(Say: '... because of/through?) hot and cold'. He will say: ...?
(Say): '... red ... linen'. He will say: 'Why?' Say:
'... red border; the linen, however, ...'
(He will say): '... has been wrapped?' Say: 'The savior's ...'
He will say: 'Who is the father?' Say: 'The one who (begets?) everything ...' (He
will say): '('How ?)...
did you become a Leo?' Say: 'By the ... of the father'. ...
Say: 'Drink and food'. He will say '...?'
'... in the seven-...'."
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A Lexical Entry
This late second/early third century papyrus, P.Oxy. 1802, contains a glossary on the verso, among whose entries one is for Mithras on l. 64, which reads:
Μίθρας ὁ Προμηθεὺς κατὰ δ' ἄλλους ὁ ἥλιος παρὰ Περσ[αις ...
Mithras: Prometheus, but according to others the Sun, among Persi[ans ...
