Enteuxis Concerning Illegal Sale of Cedria

Abstract

The Greek papyrus published in this article is a fragment of an enteuxis from Ptolemaic Egypt. It probably dates to the middle of the 2nd century BC and its provenance is the Fayyum. It concerns the illegal sale of cedria; a substance widely used in mummification. The petitioner was apparently a tax farmer who won the state concession for the distribution of and tax upon cedria presumably for the Arsinoite nome. He seems to complain that the ibiotaphoi obtained cedria from other sources unauthorised by the state and also supplied others with this product.