Πρωτάρχωι ἐπιμελητῆι
παρὰ Μεγχέους χρυσοχόου
τῶν ἐξ Ὀξυρύγχων
τῆς Πολέμωνος μερίδος.
Πτολεμαίου τ[ο]ῦ τελω-
νοῦντος τὴν χρυσοχοϊκην
(*)
τοῦ νομοῦ εὑρόντες
(*)
με.
ἐγ
(*)
Κροκοδ̣ε̣ίλων πόλει καὶ
συκοφαντ̣ή̣[σα]ν̣τος οὐθέν μου
προσοφείλοντος τῶι βασιλεῖ
καὶ προσλαβομένου συνερ-
γὸν Μενέλαον τὸν κατὰ
πόλιν καὶ ἀπαγαγόντω̣ν̣ μ̣ε
καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἐπενεγ-
15
κάντων
(*)
ὅ̣ν τε εἶχον ἐγδό-
σιμον
(*)
βῶλ̣ο̣ν ἀ̣ρ̣γ̣υ̣ροῦν καὶ
\κάθεμα/ οὗ ὁλκὴ (δραχμῶν)
ρη
ἀφελομέ-
νων μου [οὗ] παρατεθ̣ή̣σ̣[εται]
τὰ δίκαια, κατέστη̣ν̣ π̣[ρὸ]
αὐτοὺς ἐπʼ Ἀσκληπιά[δην]
τὸν παρὰ σ̣[ο]ῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τούτ[ου]
ὡμολογηκότων αὐτῶν καὶ
εἰπάντων
(*)
ἀποδώσειν μοι
οὐ̣δʼ ἕως τοῦ νῦν ἀποδιδόασι.
ἐγὼ δὲ περισπώμενος ὑπὸ
τοῦ κυρίου τοῦ ἀργυρίου οὐ δύ-
ναμαι ἐγδημῆσαι
(*)
ἀλλὰ
καταφθείρομαι ἀργῶν. ὅπως οὖν
δύνωμαι τ̣ὰ εἰς τὸ̣ βασιλικὸν
30
τέλη ἀναπληροῦν, ἀξιῶ σε
δεόμενος μεταπεμψάμενον
αὐτοὺς ἐπηναγκάσαι
(*)
ἀπο-
δοῦναί μοι τὸ ἀργύριον. τούτου
γὰρ γενομένου ὢν ὑποτελὴς
35
οὐκ ἀδικηθήσομαι ἀλλὰ τεύ-
ξομαι βοηθείας.
εὐτύχει.
(*)
To the chief administrator,
from Mencheus the goldsmith,
of those from Oxyrhynchus,
of the portion of the War.
Of Ptolemy, the tax collector,
who is in charge of the goldsmithing
(*)
having found the law
(*)
me.
I
(*)
in the city of Crocodilopolis and
having been falsely accused of nothing by me
owing anything to the king
and having received as a partner Menelaus,
who is in the city and having taken me away
and having raised my hands
(*)
which I had as a tax
(*)
of silver and
the amount of which the total (of drachmas)
was taken from me [which] will be presented
the just things, I have established against
them at Asclepiadus
who is from you and upon this
having agreed with them and
all
(*)
to give back to me
nor even until now do they give back.
But I, being distressed by
the lord of silver, am not able to be away
(*)
but I am being destroyed by idleness. Therefore, in order that I may
fill the royal taxes,
I ask you
beseeching you to send them
to compel them
(*)
to give me the silver. For when this happens, being a subordinate,
I will not be wronged but will obtain help.
Good luck.
Πρωτάρχωι ἐπιμελητῆι
παρὰ Μεγχέους χρυσοχόου
τῶν ἐξ̣ Ὀ̣ξ̣υ̣ρ̣ύ̣γχων
τῆς Πολέμω̣νος μερίδος.
Πτολεμαίου τ[ο]ῦ τελω-
νοῦντος τὴν χρυσοχοϊκην
(*)
τοῦ νομοῦ εὑρόντες
(*)
με.
ἐγ
(*)
Κροκοδ̣ε̣ίλων πόλει καὶ
συκοφαντ̣ή̣[σα]ν̣τος οὐθέν μου
προσοφείλοντος τῶι βασιλεῖ
καὶ προσλαβομένου συνερ-
γὸν Μενέλαον τὸν κατὰ
πόλιν καὶ ἀπαγαγόντω̣ν̣ μ̣ε
καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἐπενεγ-
κάντων
(*)
ὅ̣ν τε εἶχον ἐγδό-
σιμον
(*)
βῶλ̣ο̣ν ἀ̣ρ̣γ̣υ̣ροῦν καὶ
\κάθεμα/ οὗ ὁλκὴ (δραχμῶν)
ρη
ἀφελομέ-
νων μου [οὗ] παρατεθ̣ή̣σ̣[εται]
τὰ δίκαια, κατέστη̣ν̣ π̣[ρὸ]ς
αὐτοὺς ἐπʼ Ἀσκληπιά[δην]
τὸν παρὰ σ̣[ο]ῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τούτ[ου]
ὡμολογηκότων αὐτῶν καὶ
εἰπάντων
(*)
ἀποδώσειν μοι
οὐ̣δʼ ἕως τοῦ νῦν ἀποδιδόασι.
ἐγὼ δὲ περισπώμενος ὑπὸ
τοῦ κυρίου τοῦ ἀργυρίου οὐ δύ-
ναμαι ἐγδημῆσαι
(*)
ἀλλὰ
καταφθείρομαι ἀργῶν. ὅπως οὖν
δύνωμαι τ̣ὰ εἰς τὸ̣ βασιλικὸν
τέλη ἀναπληροῦν, ἀξιῶ σε
δεόμενος μεταπεμψάμενον
αὐτοὺς ἐπηναγκάσαι
(*)
ἀπο-
δοῦναί μοι τὸ ἀργύριον. τούτου
γὰρ γενομένου ὢν ὑποτελὴς
οὐκ ἀδικηθήσομαι ἀλλὰ τεύ-
ξομαι βοηθείας.
εὐτύχει.
To Protarchos, the overseer,
from Menches, the goldsmith,
of those from Oxyrhynchos,
of the Polemon division.
When Ptolemaios was collecting taxes
on the goldsmith's trade
(*)
of the nome, having found
(*)
me.
I
(*)
in the city of Crocodilopolis, and
although he falsely accused me, I owed nothing
further to the king,
and having taken as an accomplice
Menelaos, who is in charge of the city,
they arrested me
and laid hands upon me,
(*)
and took away the silver ingot
which I had for sale
(*)
and a silver ornament, whose weight was (drachmas)
108,
having unjustly taken it from me, [which] will be deposited
as evidence. I confronted
them before Asklepiades,
who is from you, and when they agreed
and promised
(*)
to return it to me,
even until now they have not returned it.
But I, being pressed by
the owner of the silver, am unable
to leave the city
(*)
but am being ruined by idleness. Therefore,
so that I may be able to fulfill
my obligations to the royal treasury,
I beg you, having summoned them,
to compel them
(*)
to return the silver to me. For if this happens,
being subject to taxation,
I will not be wronged, but will obtain
assistance.
Farewell.