Ἀριστίωι Ὀπτάτῳ τῷ διασημοτάτωι ἐπ[άρχῳ τῆς Αἰγύπτου] παρὰ Αὐρηλίας Διδύμης θυγατρὸς Διδύμου ἀπὸ τ[ῆς λαμ(πρᾶς) καὶ λαμ(προτάτης)] Ὀξυρυγ’χειτῶν πόλεως· τὸ ὑ (*) πὸ ξένων ἀδικῖσθαι (*) χα[λεπόν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὑπὸ] καὶ ξυγ’γενῶν (*) χαλεπώτατον. γεγόνασιν τῷ παν[τ]ὶ̣ [πάππ]ῳ τῷ κατὰ [μη-] 5 τέρα Διοσκόρῳ παῖδες τρῖς (*), Θέων καὶ Διόσκορος καὶ Πλουτάρχη <ἡ> ἐμὴ μήτ[ηρ, ἐ-] φʼ οἷς κληρονόμοις τὸν βίον μετήλλαξεν· ἀλλὰ χρόνου μετοξὺ (*) γενομένου τ̣[ὸ χρε-] ῶν ἀποδέδωκεν ἡ ἐμὴ μήτηρ, ἐμοῦ καταδεοῦς τὴν ἡλικίαν καὶ ἐν ὀρφ[ανίᾳ] καθεστώσης· ἄμεινον δὲ ἐπίστασε (*) , ἡγεμὼν δέσποτα, ὅτι τὸ γυναικεῖον γ[ένος] εὐκαταφρόνητον πέφυκεν διὰ τὸ περὶ ἡμᾶς τῆς φύσεως ἀσθενές· πά̣[ντα] 10 γὰρ τὰ καταλειφθέντα ἑαυτοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς προσπεσούσης κληρονομί[ας] ἑνὸς ὄντος οἴκου καὶ μιᾶς ξυνγενείας (*) , ἐπʼ αὐτῆς τῆς οἰκίας ἦν ἐν ᾗ̣ [ἐκεῖ-] σαι (*) συνδίετοι (*) ἦσαν — λέγω δὴ ἀνδροπόδων (*) καὶ οἰκοπέδων καὶ ἐνδομ[ενίας] καὶ κεινουμένων (*) ἀδειαιρέτων (*) ὄντων· ἀλλʼ ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ ἐπεὶ (*) περιγρα[φῇ ἐ-] μῇ οἰ ἀδελφοὶ τῆς μητρός μου οἱ ὁμομήτριοι συνδυάζοντες ἀλλήλο[ις] 15 κενῇ καὶ ματαίᾳ ἀν̣ο̣ί̣ᾳ̣ τ̣ὰ̣ λ̣οιπὰ ὡς ἐβουλήθησαν ἐπεκράτησαν [ἕκα-] στος ὧν καὶ ἐβούλετο σωμ̣ά̣τ̣ω̣ν̣ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πάντων ἐμὲ παρʼ οὐδὲ[ν ἡγού-] μενοι ἀλλʼ ὡς ἔστιν εἰπεῖν καὶ ἀπωθούμενοι τῆς κληρονομίας τῆς [ἐπιβαλ-] λούσης μοι τοῦ τρίτου μέρους· νῦν γοῦν ἀνασφήλασα, τῆς σῆς ἐπαγρύπ[νου] τύχης συναραμένης, ἀρχο̣[μένη τε] ἐμαυτὴν γνωρίζιν (*) οὐδενὶ ἐπανε[λθεῖν] 20 ἤ σοι τῷ ἐμῷ καὶ πάντ̣ω̣ν̣ [εὐεργέτ]ῃ καὶ κηδεμόνι ἔσπευσα δεηθῆναί σου ὅπ[ως νο-] ήσας με στερουμένην κελεύ[σῃ]ς̣ [ὁ]π̣ό̣τε ἄν σοι δ[οκῇ] ἐπαναγ’κασθῆνα[ι τοὺς] πρὸς μητρός μου θείους τὰ ἐπιβάλλοντά μοι μέρ[η ἀ]πὸ διαδοχῆς τῆς μη[τρὸς] εἰς ἐμὲ καταντησασα (*) ἀποκατάστησέ (*) μοι μετὰ καὶ τ[ῶ]ν ἐκ τότε μέχρει (*) νῦν δ̣[ιαφό-] 25 ρων τῶν ἀνδραπόδων καὶ ἐνοικίων καὶ τῶν λοι[πῶ]ν πάντων καὶ ἐξῆς (*) π̣[ίστε-] ώς καὶ καλοκαιαγαθείας (*) τὰ μητρῷα ἀπολαβοῦσα διὰ π[α]ντὸς τῇ τύχῃ σου χ[άριτας] ὁμολογήσω· διευτύχει· (hand 2) Αὐρηλία Διδύμη διεπεμψάμην πρὸς ἐπείδοσ[ι]ν̣ (*). Αὐρήλιος Θῶνεις ἔγραψα ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς μὴ ἰ (*) δυείης (*) γράμα[τα] (*).
(No Latin text was extracted from the document.)
To Aristios Optatos, the most distinguished governor of Egypt, from Aurelia Didyme, daughter of Didymus, from the city of Oxyrhynchus; it is difficult to be wronged by foreigners, but it is most difficult to be wronged by relatives. Three children have been born to the most distinguished grandfather, Dioskoros: Theon, Dioskoros, and Plutarch, my mother, from whom the heirs have changed their lives; but after a time had passed, my mother paid off the debts, I being in need of age and in orphanhood; it is better to know, O lord and master, that the female gender has been born to be easily despised due to the weakness of our nature; for all that has been left to them from the inherited estate of one house and one kin, was in that house where they were living together — I mean of men and of houses and of those who were living there, being indivisible; but in the meantime, since my brothers of my mother, the siblings, were combining with each other in vain and in empty desire, each one prevailed over the rest as they wished, and they did not consider me at all, but as it is to say, they were pushing me away from the inheritance that was falling to me of the third part; now indeed I have made a request, with your vigilant fortune being joined, beginning to make myself known to no one to return to me or to you, my benefactor and guardian, I hastened to beseech you that, having considered me deprived, you might command that whenever it seems good to you, you might compel the uncles of my mother to restore to me the parts that were due to me from the succession of my mother; having reached me, restore to me with the others from then until now, differing from the slaves and rents and all the rest and henceforth, believing and of good fortune, having received the maternal inheritance through all, I will confess to your grace; may it be successful.
Ἀριστίωι Ὀπτάτῳ τῷ διασημοτάτωι ἐπ[άρχῳ τῆς Αἰγύπτου]
παρὰ Αὐρηλίας Διδύμης θυγατρὸς Διδύμου ἀπὸ τ[ῆς λαμ(πρᾶς) καὶ λαμ(προτάτης)]
Ὀξυρυγχειτῶν πόλεως· τὸ ὑπὸ ξένων ἀδικεῖσθαι χα[λεπόν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὑπὸ]
καὶ συγγενῶν χαλεπώτατον. γεγόνασιν τῷ παν[τ]ὶ [πάππ]ῳ τῷ κατὰ [μη-]
τέρα Διοσκόρῳ παῖδες τρεῖς, Θέων καὶ Διόσκορος καὶ Πλουτάρχη ἡ ἐμὴ μήτ[ηρ, ἐ-]
φʼ οἷς κληρονόμοις τὸν βίον μετήλλαξεν· ἀλλὰ χρόνου μεταξὺ γενομένου τὸ χρε-
ῶν ἀποδέδωκεν ἡ ἐμὴ μήτηρ, ἐμοῦ καταδεοῦς τὴν ἡλικίαν καὶ ἐν ὀρφανίᾳ
καθεστώσης· ἄμεινον δὲ ἐπίστασαι, ἡγεμὼν δέσποτα, ὅτι τὸ γυναικεῖον γένος
εὐκαταφρόνητον πέφυκεν διὰ τὸ περὶ ἡμᾶς τῆς φύσεως ἀσθενές· πάντα
γὰρ τὰ καταλειφθέντα ἑαυτοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς προσπεσούσης κληρονομίας
ἑνὸς ὄντος οἴκου καὶ μιᾶς συγγενείας, ἐπʼ αὐτῆς τῆς οἰκίας ἦν ἐν ᾗ [ἐκεῖ-]
σε συνδίαιτοι ἦσαν — λέγω δὴ ἀνδραπόδων καὶ οἰκοπέδων καὶ ἐνδομενίας
καὶ κινουμένων ἀδιαιρέτων ὄντων· ἀλλʼ ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ ἐπὶ περιγραφῇ ἐ-
μῇ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τῆς μητρός μου οἱ ὁμομήτριοι συνδυάζοντες ἀλλήλοις
κενῇ καὶ ματαίᾳ ἀνοίᾳ τὰ λοιπὰ ὡς ἐβουλήθησαν ἐπεκράτησαν ἕκα-
στος ὧν καὶ ἐβούλετο σωμάτων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πάντων ἐμὲ παρʼ οὐδὲν ἡγού-
μενοι ἀλλʼ ὡς ἔστιν εἰπεῖν καὶ ἀπωθούμενοι τῆς κληρονομίας τῆς ἐπιβαλ-
λούσης μοι τοῦ τρίτου μέρους· νῦν γοῦν ἀνασφήλασα, τῆς σῆς ἐπαγρύπ-
νου τύχης συναραμένης, ἀρχομένη τε ἐμαυτὴν γνωρίζειν οὐδενὶ ἐπανε-
λθεῖν ἤ σοι τῷ ἐμῷ καὶ πάντων εὐεργέτῃ καὶ κηδεμόνι ἔσπευσα δεηθῆναί σου ὅπως νο-
ήσας με στερουμένην κελεύσῃς ὁπότε ἄν σοι δοκῇ ἐπαναγκασθῆναι τοὺς
πρὸς μητρός μου θείους τὰ ἐπιβάλλοντά μοι μέρη ἀπὸ διαδοχῆς τῆς μη-
τρὸς εἰς ἐμὲ καταντήσαντα ἀποκατάστησαί μοι μετὰ καὶ τῶν ἐκ τότε μέχρι
νῦν διαφόρων τῶν ἀνδραπόδων καὶ ἐνοικίων καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν πάντων καὶ ἐξῆς πίστε-
ως καὶ καλοκαγαθίας τὰ μητρῷα ἀπολαβοῦσα διὰ παντὸς τῇ τύχῃ σου χάριτας
ὁμολογήσω· διευτύχει·
(hand 2) Αὐρηλία Διδύμη διεπεμψάμην πρὸς ἐπίδοσιν.
Αὐρήλιος Θῶνεις ἔγραψα ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς μὴ εἰδυίης γράμματα.
To Aristius Optatus, the most distinguished prefect [of Egypt],
from Aurelia Didyme, daughter of Didymus, from the [illustrious and most illustrious]
city of Oxyrhynchus: To be wronged by strangers is grievous, but to be wronged
even by relatives is most grievous. My maternal grandfather Dioscorus had three children:
Theon, Dioscorus, and Plutarchia, my mother, to whom he left his estate as heirs.
But after some time had passed, my mother paid off the debts, while I was still young and orphaned.
You know better, my lord governor, that the female gender is easily despised due to our natural weakness.
For all the property left to them from the inheritance, being of one household and one family,
was in the very house where they lived together—I mean slaves, lands, buildings,
and movable property, all undivided. But meanwhile, during my minority,
my mother's brothers, born of the same mother, conspiring together in empty and vain folly,
took possession of the remaining property as they wished, each seizing whatever slaves and other things he desired,
disregarding me entirely and virtually excluding me from the inheritance of the third part that rightfully belongs to me.
Now, therefore, having regained courage, supported by your vigilant fortune,
and beginning to assert myself, I have hastened to appeal to no one else but you,
my benefactor and guardian of all, begging you to consider my deprivation and order,
whenever it seems good to you, that my maternal uncles be compelled to restore to me
the portions due to me from my mother's inheritance, along with all the profits from then until now,
including slaves, rents, and all other things, so that henceforth, having recovered my maternal property
through your trustworthiness and nobility, I may forever acknowledge my gratitude to your fortune.
Farewell.
(hand 2) I, Aurelia Didyme, have submitted this for presentation.
I, Aurelius Thoneis, wrote on her behalf, as she does not know letters.