The Bearers of Business Letters in Roman Egypt

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

The Bearers of Business Letters in Roman Egypt

Series:
Papyrologica Bruxellensia, 41

author:

Schubert P.

Summary:

In the absence of a postal service available to all, letters exchanged between the inhabitants of Roman Egypt were most often transmitted with the help of informal bearers whose task was not limited to carrying a letter: they brought or collected goods, helped the recipients, sometimes received assistance, facilitated money transfer, performed escort and police duties, and more generally they were an essential link within a wide social network. This short study not only covers formal aspects, such as terminology or the place of the bearer in the structure of a business letter, but also provides a description of the role of the bearers and of their interaction with both senders and recipients.
This book is published open access. It can be downloaded here.