βασιλεῖ Πτολεμαίωι καὶ βασιλίσσηι Κλεοπάτραι τῆι ἀδελφῇ καὶ βασιλίσσηι Κλεοπάτραι τῆι γυναικὶ θεοῖς Εὐεργέταις χαίρειν.
Κέφαλος Διονυσίου τῶν ἐν τῶι Ἑρμοπολίτηι μισθοφόρων καταγινομένων δʼ ἐν τῆι Ἀκώρεως καθʼ ὑπερβολὴν ἠδικημένο[ς] καὶ κινδυνεύων ἀντʼ ἐλευθέρου δοῦλος γενέσθαι χάριν τῶν διαπεραγμένων εἴς με ὑπὸ Λυσικράτου τοῦ Χαρίνου, ἱππάχου <τῶν> τοῦ αὐτοῦ νόμου κατὸίκων ἱππέων, ἠνάγκασμαι τὴν ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς καταφυγὴν ποιήσασθαι ἵνα τύχω βοηθείας.
τοῦ γὰρ ζι κη (ἔτους) ὠνησαμένου μου παρὰ τοῦ ἐγκαλούμενου οἴνου χο(ῦς), τῆς δὲ τούτων συναγομένων τιμῆς χα(λκοῦ) (ταλάντων) κδ προεμένου μοῦ αὐτῶι χειρόγραφον, ὃ διασαφεῖ τὴν καταβολὴν αὐτῶι ποιήσασθαι ἐπὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τῶν τόπων Σωτίωνος τράπεζαν ἐν τῶι σημανθέντι χρόνωι, διὸ καὶ ἐν τῶι Παχὼν μηνὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἔτους διαγράψαντός μου ἐπὶ τὴν προειρημένην τοῦ Σωτίωνος τράπἐζαν ἀπὸ τοῦ προδιεσταμένου [κεφαλαίου χα(λκοῦ)] (τάλαντα(?)) ιγ ἀκολούθως καὶ ὁς (*).
συνηλάκχειν, παρʼ οὗ καὶ λαβόντος μου τὸ τῆς [ἀποχῆς σύ]μβολον· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἀποδόντος μου τὰ λοιπὰ τῆς τιμῆς τοῦ [οἴνου χα(λκοῦ) (τάλαντα) ι]α καὶ προσεδρεύοντος τῆι τοῦ χειρογράφου ἀγχτήσει (*).
ὑποσχομενος (*).
ἡσυχίας εἶχον τῶι μηδεμίαν ἔννοιαν κακίας ἔχειν· χρόνου δὲ διαγενομένου καὶ τοῦ ἐγκαλουμένου ἐπιβολὴν σχόντος εἰς τὸ διασεῖσαί με ἐντυχόντος [κατʼ ἐμοῦ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣].
ωι τῶι ἐπὶ τῶν τόπων στρατηγῶι, περιέσπα μὲ ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ὡς μὴ [ἀποδόντος ἐμοῦ αὐτου (*) τὰ διάφορα, ἐμπλεκείς τέ μοι οὐκ ἀπέστηι εἰ μὴ ἠνάγκασε σὲ σὴμεῖωσθαι ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ συγγραφὴν αἰγυπτίαν τόν τε ἀδελφόν μου Πετεαρποχράτην [κα]ὶ Τοθοῆν καὶ Πετενοῦφιν καὶ τὴν μητέρα μου Σενόβαστιν χα(λκοῦ) (ταλάντων) ι, διασταλέντος ἐν τῶι [σ]υμβολαίωι τὴν ἀπόδοσιν [α]ὐτῶι ποιήσασθαι ἐν (ἔτεσι) γ ἀπὸ τοῦ θκ (*).
(ἔτους), ὃς καὶ παραχρῆμα ἐμεσιδίωσεν τὸ προειρημένον χειρόγραφον Πετεχῶντί τινι τῶ̣ν ἐκ τῆς Ἀκώρεως, ὧι καὶ συνέταξεν μὴ πρ[ο]έστθαι με (*) αὐτὸ, ἐὰν μὴ [πρό]τερον κωμίσαι α[ὐτὸ]ν τὰ προκείμενα χα(λκοῦ) (τάλαντα) ι, ὑπολαμβάνων τῶι τοιούτω[ι] τρόπωι δὶς τὰ ταυτὰ (*).
πράξειν με· διό, μέγι̣σ̣τ̣ε βασιλεῦ καὶ β̣[α]σί- λι̣σσαι, συνέβη αὐτῶι εἰς ἕκαστα βουλόμενος αὐτὸν ὁμόλογον κατα[σ]τῆσαι.
δέομαι οὖν ὑμῶν τῶν μεγίστων θεῶν μή με ὑπεριδ[εῖ]ν̣ ἐνεδρευόμεν̣ο̣ν ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπου [ἀγ]νώμονος, ἀντ̣[ι]λ̣αβομένους̣ δʼ ἐὰν φαίνηται προσ̣[τ]άξαι χρηματίσα̣ι̣ μου τὴν ἔντευξιν [ ̣ ̣ ]τα Ἀπολλόδωρον τῶν πρώ̣των φίλων καὶ ἐπι[στ]άτην κ̣αὶ γραμμ̣ατέα τῶν κατοίκων ἱ̣π̣πέων, ὅπως̣ μ̣εταπεμ̣ψ̣ά̣μενος τὸν Λυσικρ̣[άτ]η̣ν διὸ (*).
Ἡρ̣αστράτο̣υ τοῦ πρ̣ὸ̣ς ταῖς συντά- ξεσιν τῆς τε τ̣ῶν πραγμ̣ά̣των ἀληθείας (*).
ἐξε[τ]α̣σθείσης, ἐὰν <ᾖ> ο[ἷα] προφέρομαι, κρίνῃ μηδεμίαν εἶν[α]ι̣ αὐτῶι παρʼ ἐμοῦ πρᾶξι[ν] κατὰ μην̣α (*) τρόπον, ἄκυρον δὲ κατασσταθῆναι (*) καὶ τὴν ση̣μ̣αι[νο]μένην τῶν (ταλάντων) ι συγγρ̣α̣φήν, ὁμοίω̣ς δὲ καὶ τὸ μεμεσιδιωμένον χειρόγρα(φον), μ̣έχρι δὲ τούτο̣υ̣ μὴ ἐξῇ αὐτῶι κομισα̣μένῳ τὸ ἀ̣ντίγραφ̣[ο]ν̣ τῆς ἐντεύξ[ε]ω̣ς ταύτης μ̣η̣δ̣ε̣μίαν οἰκον̣[ο]μ̣ί̣αν κατʼ ἐμοῦ ποιεῖσθαι μ̣ηδὲ περισ̣πᾶν με μηδὲ τοὺς προγεγραμμένους ἐ[γγ]ύους, διεγγυ̣[άτ]ω δὲ τοῦ καθήκοντος π̣ρ̣οστίμου [τ]ῶι ἐπὶ τῶ̣ν τόπων ξενικῶι πράκτορι·
τ̣[ο]ύ̣του δὲ γενομ[ένο]υ τεύξομαι ἀ̣ν̣τιλήμψ[ε]ως.
εὐτυχεῖτε.
None extracted.
To King Ptolemy and Queen Cleopatra, my sister and Queen Cleopatra, the wife, greetings to the gods, the Benefactors.
Cephalus, son of Dionysius, of the mercenaries in Hermopolis, having been wronged beyond measure and in danger of becoming a slave instead of free, thanks to those who have intervened on my behalf by Lysicrates the son of Charinus, the cavalry commander of the same law of the inhabitants, I have been compelled to seek refuge with you in order to obtain assistance.
For in the year I purchased wine from the one who is called, and of the value of the gathered bronze (talents) 24, I have written to him, which clarifies the payment to be made to him at the table of Sotion in the time indicated, therefore also in the month of Pachon of the same year, having written to me regarding the previously mentioned table of Sotion from the previously designated (bronze) (talents) 13, subsequently and whoever (*).
I have been gathered, from whom I also received the symbol of the [departure]; after this, when I return the rest of the value of the [wine (bronze) (talents) 14] and presiding over the hand of the manuscript (*).
Promising (*).
I had peace of mind, having no thought of evil; but when time had passed and the one who is called had made an imposition upon me to shake me, having encountered [against me ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣].
I was surrounded by the general, and I was not released unless he compelled me to write a document on my behalf regarding my brother Petaerophrates and Tothon and Petenouphis and my mother Senobashtin (bronze) (talents) 14, having been designated in the documents to make the return to him in (years) 3 from the year 14 (*).
(year), who also immediately sent me the aforementioned manuscript to Petekhontis, one of those from Akoreus, to whom he also arranged that I should not be presented with it unless I first bring him the aforementioned (bronze) (talents) 14, assuming that in such a way I would do the same (*).
To act for me; therefore, great king and queen, it has happened to him in each case wishing to establish him as an equal.
I therefore beseech you, the greatest gods, not to overlook me lying in ambush under an ungrateful man, if it seems fitting to you to command that my petition be made.
[ ̣ ̣ ] to Apollodorus of the first friends and overseer and secretary of the cavalry inhabitants, that having sent Lysicrates, therefore (*).
Herastratus, regarding the accounts of the truth of the matters (*).
Having been examined, if it is as I propose, let him judge that there is no action from me according to the month (*) manner, but let it be declared void (*) and the written document of the (talents) 14, likewise also the manuscript that has been sent, until this is not sent to him having brought the copy of this petition, let there be no economy made against me nor let me be disturbed nor those previously written guarantees, but let there be a guarantee of the due obligation to the foreign agent in the places;
having been made, I will obtain assistance.
Farewell.