Theodosiou Polis (meris of Polemon)
Documentation
Theodosiou polis is attested as the seat of a bishop and one of the nine cities in the province of Arcadia by the chroniclers Hierocles (mid 5th cent.) and Georgios of Cyprus (period of Justinian). In the papyri it is mainly attested indirectly, by references to an administrative district, no doubt a pagarchy, of the "Arsinoitai and Theodosioupolitai" between AD 556 and 622 and to a Theodosiopolite nome. The earliest reference to the new nome dates from AD 455 (P.Prag II 131).
A homonymous city, also a bishop's seat, was created at about the same time in Middle Egypt, between Hermoupolis and Kynon polis [Taha el-Ameida, cf. Drew-Bear 1979a, p.111-112 and P.Sorb. II 69, 18.7 and 20.37, with note on p.60]. In the two papyrological instances where the city itself is mentioned (Stud.Pal. 08 1091; P.Oxy 16 1921), it is doubtful whether really the Fayum Theodosiou polis is meant or the city in Middle Egypt.
Name and location
Theodosiou polis was no doubt an existing city renamed in honour of the emperor Theodosius II shortly after his death in AD 450. Because villages in the Theodosiopolite nome are concentrated in the former meris of Polemon and Tebtynis disappears from our documentation at about the same period Fantoni 1989, pp.46-47 tentatively identifies Theodosiou polis with Tebtynis.
Bibliography
- P.Teb. II, pp.363-365;
- Dizionario II p.262;
- Suppl. I p. 139;
- G. Fantoni, CPR XIV, pp.41-48
B. Van Beek