Theophanes of Hermopolis

Theophanes was a wealthy businessman and scholastics from Hermopolis in the Egyptian Thebaid who travelled to Antioch in Syria for business reasons and left and archive of papyrus documents. He was a landowner and a high-level Roman bureaucrat. In the late 310s he was legal adviser to Vitalis who, as rationalis Aegypti, was the finance officer in charge of the arms factories and other operations of the Roman state in the province.

Among these documents there are memoranda which cover the time from mid-March to early August of 320, and provide information on his preparations for the journey, his travel to Antioch, stay in Antioch, and journey back to Egypt. On the basis of his itinerary it is possible to reconstruct the stages of his journey and the time needed for travelling certain distances. Theophanes travelled on the Via Maris along the Mediterranean coast from Pelesium in the south to Laodicae and Antioch in the north, passing through Ashqelon, Jamnia, Lydda, and Caesarea on his way. Especially interesting are his remarks concerning the practicalities of travel: provisions, accommodations, and people he met on the road.
After taking over a month to reach Antioch, Theophanes spent two and half months rhere, in pursuit of business.