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This chapter investigates the physical features, mise en page, and palaeography of Roman wills from Egypt before and after Severus Alexander (222–235 CE). Writing media (tablets and papyri) and language (Latin and Greek) are important in determining whether we are dealing with an original will, a copy, or a translation. Moreover, a closer analysis of their physical features, writing surface, number of hands, and layout strategies can yield a deeper understanding of the documents in their context. I argue that other wills on tablets had a similar format to that of C.Pap.Lat. 221 in the position of the binding holes, while some of them probably conformed more closely to the senatus consultum Neronianum. It is a matter of debate whether original records of opening the will were in Latin; it is likely that they were, but some surviving examples are possibly private copies. In addition, some Greek records seem to have been copied from Greek translations rather than being directly translated from the Latin. Layout devices were often reproduced in the process of drafting, copying, and translating wills, whereas technical abbreviations appear to be more widespread in Latin than in Greek testimonia.

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