IONIA. Ephesus (?), 2nd-3rd centuries AD. Weight of 1 Litra (Lead, 77x81 mm, 400.00 g, 12 h), Amicus, Herakleas, Priscus & Saturninus, paraphylakes. ΛΕΙ/ΤΡΑ within square incuse. Rev. CATOPNIΛO CAMIKOC ΠΡΕΙCXOC ΗΡΑΚΛΕΑ / ΠΑΡΑ/ΦΥΛΑ/ΚΩΝ. Pondera 12111 = P. Weiss: Jenseits der Agoranomie. Neue und alte griechische Marktgewichte der Kaiserzeit, in: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 200 (2016), p. 255-257, III 4 (this weight). Minor roughness, otherwise, very fine.


The paraphylax, already attested in the Hellenistic period, was a magistrate who performed basic policing and patrolling duties, although the Roman period saw an expansion of his responsibilities to economic matters such as control of weights and customs collection.