Extracted Text

Koine Greek

Αὐρήλιος Ἄμμων Πετεαρβεσχίνιος σχολαστικὸς ἀπὸ Πανὸς πόλε[ως] τῆς Θηβαί (*) δος ⁦ vac. ? ⁩ Αὐρηλίωι Φαυστίνωι πολίτηι καὶ φίλωι ἄρξαντι βουλευτῆι τῆς αὐτῆς πόλεως χαίρειν. ⁦ vac. ? ⁩ ἐπειδὴ ἐγὼ τέως ἀσχο- λούμενος τυγχάνω, πρᾶγμα νῦν σπουδαιότατον μετὰ χεῖρας ἔχων καὶ τὸν τῆς γεωργίας ἅμα καιρὸν ἐπέχοντά με σ̣τ̣έλλε- σθαι πρὸς ἀποδημίαν, βλέπων ἐν τῶι παρόντι, ὅπως μὴ ἄσπο- ρος ἡ ἡμετέρα γῆ γενομένη πρὸς τὰς δημοσίας με εἰσφο̣ρὰς ἐνεδρεύσηι, ἐντέλλομαί σοι κατὰ ταύτην μου τὴν ἔγγρ[α]φ̣ον ἐντολὴν τὴν χώραν μου τέως πληρῶσαι ·. ἀκήκοα γάρ τινα ἐξαίφνης ἔξωθεν ἐπιστάντα βιαίωι τρόπωι ἢ κατὰ παραλογι- σμὸν ἐπιχειρεῖν ἁρπάσαι τὰ [ἐ]ν Ἀλεξανδρεία ἀνδράποδα τοῦ ἐμοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Ἁρποκρατίων[ο]ς, ὡς ὄντα νῦν ἀδέσποτα καὶ ὡς μὴ ἐπὶ κληρονόμοις ἐκείν[ο]υ τελευτήσαντος ·. ἐντέλλο̣μαι οὖν σοι τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν δ̣[ι]α̣σημότατον ἔπαρχον τῆς Αἰγύπτου Φλάουιον Νεστόρ[ιο]ν περὶ τούτου διδάξαι, ὡς ἀδελφὸς ὑ̣[πάρ]χει τοῦ ἀπελθόντος ἐκ[εί]νου Ἁρποκρατίωνος ὁμοπάτρι-ός τε καὶ ὁμομήτριος νόμι̣[μ]ος ἐκείνου κληρονόμος Ἄμ̣μων τοὔνομα, ὃς καὶ τῶν κατὰ Θ[η]βαί (*) δα ὀλίγων α̣ὐ̣τ̣οῦ πραγμά[τω]ν̣ καὶ ταῦτα χερσωθέντων τὰ̣[ς] ὀ̣χ̣λήσεις φέρει καὶ κατʼ ἀνά[γ]κ̣ην τῶν νόμων αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν τούτων φροντίδα συνελαυνό̣ν- των διὰ τὰ τελέσματα τὰ δημ̣[ό]σια ·· ταύτην δέ σοι τὴν ἐντολὴν ὑπ’ ἐμοῦ ἰδίο[ι]ς γράμμασι γρ̣α[φε]ῖσαν ἐπιδίδωμι κυρίαν οὖ[σα]ν κ̣αὶ βεβαίαν πρὸς τὸ δύνα̣σ̣θ̣[αι ὑμ]ᾶ̣ς ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ λόγον ἐν τ[ῶι] δικαστηρίωι νομίμως ποιή[σα]σ̣θ̣α̣ι̣ κ̣α̣ὶ ἢ ἀπολαβεῖν τὰ ἀνδ̣[ράποδα] ἢ ἀξιῶσαι τηρηθῆναι τ̣αῦ̣[τ]α̣ προν̣οία̣ι τῆς τάξεως, μέχρ̣ις ἂ̣ν̣ τὸ δικαστήριον τὴν̣ π̣ρ̣ὸ̣ς̣ ἀ̣[κρ]ίβεια̣[ν] κ̣αταλάβηι πίστιν ἐμ̣οῦ παραγενομένου.

Latin

(No Latin text found in the provided document)

Translation into English

Aurelius Ammon Petaerbeschinios, a scholar from the city of Panos in Thebes, sends greetings to Aurelius Faustinus, a citizen and friend, who is presiding as a councilor of the same city. Since I am currently engaged in a matter of utmost importance, having it at hand and also considering the season for agriculture, I am compelled to prepare for a journey, seeing in the present how our land may not become barren in relation to the public taxes, I command you to fulfill this my written order regarding my land. For I have heard that someone suddenly, having come from outside, is attempting violently or through deception to seize the slaves in Alexandria belonging to my brother Harpokratios, as they are now unclaimed and as he has passed away without heirs. Therefore, I command you to inform my most distinguished lord, the governor of Egypt, Flavius Nestor, about this, as he is a brother of the deceased Harpokratios, and a legitimate heir of his, named Ammon, who also bears a few of his affairs in Thebes and these having been cleared, he brings the claims and, due to the necessity of the laws, he is being driven into their care through the public results. I hereby deliver to you this command written in my own letters, which is authoritative and certain, so that you may lawfully make a case for me in the court and either recover the slaves or demand that these be preserved according to the provisions of the order, until the court may ascertain the exactness of my claim.

Extracted Koine Greek Text

Αὐρήλιος Ἄμμων Πετεαρβεσχίνιος σχολαστικὸς ἀπὸ Παν̣ὸ̣ς̣ πόλε[ως] τῆς Θηβαίδος
Αὐρηλίωι Φαυστίνωι πολίτηι καὶ φίλωι ἄρξαντι βουλευτῆι τῆς αὐτῆς πόλεως χαίρειν.
ἐπειδὴ ἐγὼ τέως ἀσχολούμενος τυγχάνω, πρᾶγμα νῦν σπουδαιότατον μετὰ χεῖρας ἔχων καὶ τὸν τῆς γεωργίας ἅμα καιρὸν ἐπέχοντά με σ̣τ̣έλλεσθαι πρὸς ἀποδημίαν, βλέπων ἐν τῶι παρόντι, ὅπως μὴ ἄσπορος ἡ ἡμετέρα γῆ γενομένη πρὸς τὰς δημοσίας με εἰσφο̣ρὰς ἐνεδρεύσηι, ἐντέλλομαί σοι κατὰ ταύτην μου τὴν ἔγγρ[α]φ̣ον ἐντολὴν τὴν χώραν μου τέως πληρῶσαι· ἀκήκοα γάρ τινα ἐξαίφνης ἔξωθεν ἐπιστάντα βιαίωι τρόπωι ἢ κατὰ παραλογισμὸν ἐπιχειρεῖν ἁρπάσαι τὰ [ἐ]ν Ἀλεξανδρεία ἀνδράποδα τοῦ ἐμοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Ἁρποκρατίων[ο]ς, ὡς ὄντα νῦν ἀδέσποτα καὶ ὡς μὴ ἐπὶ κληρονόμοις ἐκείν[ο]υ τελευτήσαντος· ἐντέλλο̣μαι οὖν σοι τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν δ̣[ι]α̣σημότατον ἔπαρχον τῆς Αἰγύπτου Φλάουιον Νεστόρ[ιο]ν περὶ τούτου διδάξαι, ὡς ἀδελφὸς ὑ̣[πάρ]χει τοῦ ἀπελθόντος ἐκ[εί]νου Ἁρποκρατίωνος ὁμοπάτριός τε καὶ ὁμομήτριος νόμι̣[μ]ος ἐκείνου κληρονόμος Ἄμ̣μων τοὔνομα, ὃς καὶ τῶν κατὰ Θ[η]βαίδα ὀλίγων α̣ὐ̣τ̣οῦ πραγμά[τω]ν̣ καὶ ταῦτα χερσωθέντων τὰ̣[ς] ὀ̣χ̣λήσεις φέρει καὶ κατʼ ἀνά[γ]κ̣ην τῶν νόμων αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν τούτων φροντίδα συνελαυνό̣ντων διὰ τὰ τελέσματα τὰ δημ̣[ό]σια· ταύτην δέ σοι τὴν ἐντολὴν ὑπ’ ἐμοῦ ἰδίο[ι]ς γράμμασι γρ̣α[φε]ῖσαν ἐπιδίδωμι κυρίαν οὖ[σα]ν κ̣αὶ βεβαίαν πρὸς τὸ δύνα̣σ̣θ̣[αι ὑμ]ᾶ̣ς ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ λόγον ἐν τ[ῶι] δικαστηρίωι νομίμως ποιή[σα]σ̣θ̣α̣ι̣ κ̣α̣ὶ ἢ ἀπολαβεῖν τὰ ἀνδ̣[ράποδα] ἢ ἀξιῶσαι τηρηθῆναι τ̣αῦ̣[τ]α̣ προν̣οία̣ι τῆς τάξεως, μέχρ̣ις ἂ̣ν̣ τὸ δικαστήριον τὴν̣ π̣ρ̣ὸ̣ς̣ ἀ̣[κρ]ίβεια̣[ν] κ̣αταλάβηι πίστιν ἐμ̣οῦ παραγενομένου.

English Translation

Aurelius Ammon, son of Petearbeschinis, a scholar from the city of Panopolis in the Thebaid, to Aurelius Faustinus, citizen and friend, former magistrate and councilor of the same city, greetings.

Since I am currently occupied, having a very important matter at hand and being pressed by the agricultural season to depart on a journey, and seeing at present that our land might become unsown and thus endanger me regarding public taxes, I instruct you by this written order of mine to temporarily manage my estate. For I have heard that someone suddenly appeared from outside, attempting by force or deceit to seize the slaves in Alexandria belonging to my brother Harpocration, claiming that they are now ownerless and without heirs after his death. Therefore, I instruct you to inform my lord, the most distinguished prefect of Egypt, Flavius Nestorius, about this matter, that I, Ammon by name, am the legitimate brother of the deceased Harpocration, sharing both father and mother, and his lawful heir. I am also burdened with the few properties he had in the Thebaid, which have become barren, and am compelled by necessity of the laws to take care of these matters due to public obligations. I deliver to you this instruction, written by my own hand, authoritative and valid, so that you may lawfully represent me in court and either recover the slaves or request that they be kept under official supervision until the court accurately establishes the truth upon my arrival.