Amphora handle, Benha, Egypt Alison E. Cooley AEC/ASHL AN1872.1381.xml 106262 Oxford Ashmolean Museum AN1872.1381 AshLI 384

Part of the curved handle of an amphora, of unglazed coarse red pottery.

On the front, to the left, is an oval stamp, with the image of an anchor in relief. This is followed by the inscription, which is stamped within a rectangular frame. (Rectangular stamped area: 0.022-0.02; 0.09.)

Letters: 0.01-0.008 According to the Accession Register, it was purchased from Benha in Egypt (cf CIL I2.2 no.2654i; Chester 1881). Mid-first century BC According to the Accession Register, it was purchased from Benha in Egypt (cf CIL I2.2 no.2654i; Chester 1881). Photograph Photograph Photograph Photograph
Marci Tucci Luci filii Tromentina tribu Galeonis

Of Marcus Tuccius Galeo, son of Lucius, of the Tromentina voting-tribe.

M TVCCI I L F TRO GALEONIS (Chester)

Amphorae handles stamped with the name of M. Tuccius Galeo have been found in different regions (CIL I2.2 no.2654, p.737), including Italy, Sardinia, Gallia Narbonensis, and Judaea, as well as in Alexandria and the Nile delta in Egypt (Nachtergael 1978: pp.61-63 no.26). This is a strikingly wide distribution for amphorae of Italian origin of this period. The inclusion of patronymic and voting-tribe is an unusual feature. The Tromentina voting-tribe is associated with six towns in Italy (Callender 1965: p.192 no.1187). It has been suggested that Tuccius Galeo may be identified with the M. Tuccius who left property in his will to Cicero in 47 BC and that his amphorae may have been manufactured in southern Italy, perhaps in the area around Brundisium (cf. CIL I2.2 no.2654a; with critical assessment of Desy 1987).

Chester (1881) p.74 no.1215; CIL I2.2 no.2654i (1918); Ashmolean Museum Department of Antiquities MS Accession Register 1872.1381

Callender M.H. 1965 Roman Amphorae with index of stamps London Oxford University Press Chester G.J. 1881 Catalogue of the Egyptian Antiquities in the Ashmolean Museum Oxford Parker Desy P. 1987 Les amphores de M. Tuccius Galeo et la correspondance de Cicéron Latomus 46.1 191-95 Nachtergael G. 1978 La collection Marcel Hombert, vol. 1: Timbres amphoriques et autres documents écrits, acquis en Égypte Brussels Papyrologica Bruxellensia