ωμδεεδικαιοτατην ἐντεύξεως λα]βεῖν εαυτων σθα χρ γ τὰ πάντα καλῶς ε τῶι ἰδίωι σώματι ὑπηρετηκέναι μηδὲν τηλικούτους ἔφασαν δὲ διὰ τῆς ἐντεύξεως καὶ τῶν αὑτῶν παρειρῆσθαι, Μέλας δʼ ἐκ τῶν τιων ἐπέδειξεν τοῦ κωμομισθωτοῦ μένου κόρων καὶ εἰς τὸ συναγαγεῖν ὡς ἐκ τοῦ γενομένου ἀποτεῖσαι αὐτοὺς ἐκ κορ ιβ. ἐφαίνοντο οὖν ἡμῖν καὶ προσωφελῆσθαι ἐκ τοῦ οὕτως.
Μέλας δὲ ὡμολόγει μὲν εἰληφέναι, διὰ δὲ τοις οἷς μὴ ὑπάρχειν ὕδωρ καταφθείρειν αὐτοὺς τὰ στέμφυλα· αὐτὸν δὲ χρείαν ἔχειν τοῖς σώμασιν ἔτι δὲ καὶ ὑπάρχειν τοῖς πολλοῖς ἰδίους ἀμπελῶνας, ὅθεν εἶχον στέμφυλα· ὅσοις δὲ μὴ ὑπῆρχον ἀμπελῶνες, αὐτὸς ἔφη διδόναι τὸ ἱκανόν. ἐνεκάλουν δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ σύκων ὅτι εἰσπεπραγμένοι ἦσαν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ τῶν γινομένων τὰ τρια.
υτνος ἀδικης αλλα τοιαῦτα πεποιηκέναι αὐτοὺς ἐν τῶι κζ (ἔτει) τὰ σῦκα καὶ τεθεικέναι ἐκ τοῦ γενομένου καρποῦ προς παραγενόμενος ἐξ Αἰγύπτου φουιν ιναι κ[αὶ εὐτα]κτεῖν· καὶ ὅτι ἐὰν ταῦτα ποιῶσιν, τεύξονται παρὰ σοῦ πάντων τῶν φιλανθρώπων. καὶ ταῦτα παρακαλέσαντες ἀπεστείλαμεν αὐτούς. ἠξίωσεν οὖν ἡμᾶς Μέλας γράψαι πρός σε περὶ τούτων πάντων. γεγράφαμεν οὖν σοι ὅπως εἰδῆις. ἔρρωσο. (ἔτους) κζ, Αὐδναίου η.
(No Latin text was extracted from the document.)
"He has acknowledged that he has received, but he has stated that there is no water to destroy them. The needs of the bodies are such that they also have their own vineyards, from which they had the necessary supplies. For those who did not have vineyards, he said he would provide what was sufficient. He also called for figs, as they were being sold by him among the things that were happening.
He has done such things to them in the year 27. The figs and the necessary provisions from the produce that came from Egypt. He has instructed that if they do these things, they will find favor with you, all of the philanthropists. And having requested these things, we sent them away. Therefore, Melas has deemed it appropriate for us to write to you about all these matters. Thus, we have written to you so that you may know. Farewell. (Year) 27, of Audnaios."
[ -ca.?- ]ωμ[ ... ]
[ -ca.?- ]δεεδικαιο[ ... ]
[ -ca.?- ]τατην [ ... ] ἐντεύξεως
[ -ca.?- λα]βεῖν [ ... ] εαυτων [ ... ]σθα
χρ[ ... ] τὰ πάν[τα(?)] καλῶς ε[ ... ]τῶι ἰδίωι σώ[ματι]
ὑπηρετηκέναι μηδὲν τηλικούτο[υς ... ]
ἔφασαν δὲ διὰ τῆς ἐντεύξεως καὶ τ[ῶ]ν [ ... ]
αὑτῶν παρειρῆσθαι, Μέλας δʼ ἐκ τῶν [ ... ]
τιων ἐπέδειξεν τοῦ κωμομισθωτ[ο]ῦ [ ... ] μένου κόρων κ καὶ β
εἰς τὸ συναγαγεῖν ὡ[ς] ἐκ τοῦ γενομένου ἀποτεῖσαι αὐτοὺς ἐκ κορ ιβ.
ἐφαίνοντο οὖν ἡμῖν καὶ προσωφελῆσθαι ἐκ τοῦ οὕτως.
[ ... ]νω[ ... πε]ριαφειρη[ ... ]
[Μέλ]ας δὲ [ὡ]μολόγει μὲν εἰλη[φ]έναι, διὰ δ[ὲ] τοις [ ... ]οις μὴ [ὑπ]άρχειν ὕδωρ κατα[φ]θείρειν αὐτοὺς [τὰ] στέμφ[υλ]α·
αὐτὸν δὲ χρείαν ἔχειν τοῖς σώμασιν [ ... ]
ἔτι δὲ καὶ ὑπάρχειν τοῖς πολλοῖς ἰδίους [ἀμ]πελῶνας, ὅθεν εἶχον στέμφυλα·
ὅσοις δὲ μὴ ὑπῆρχον ἀμπελῶνες, αὐτὸς ἔφη διδόναι τὸ ἱκανόν.
ἐνεκάλουν δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ σύκων [ὅ]τι εἰσπεπρα[γμέ-]νοι ἦσαν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ τῶν [γ]ινομ̣ένων τὰ τρια [ ... ]
[ ... ]υ[ ... ]τ[ ... ]ν̣ος ἀδικης[ ... ]
[ ... ]αλλα τοιαῦτα [ ... ] πεποιηκέναι αὐτοὺς ἐν τῶι κζ (ἔτει)
τὰ σῦκα καὶ [ ... ]τεθεικέναι ἐκ τοῦ γενομένου καρποῦ προς[ ... ] παραγενόμενος ἐξ Αἰγύπτου
[ ... ]φουιν[ ... ]ιναι κ[αὶ εὐτα]κτεῖν· καὶ ὅτι ἐὰν [ταῦτ]α ποιῶσιν, τεύξονται παρὰ σοῦ πάντων [τῶ]ν φιλανθρώπων.
καὶ ταῦτα παρακαλέσαντες ἀπεστείλαμεν αὐτούς.
ἠξίωσεν οὖν ἡμᾶς Μέλας γράψαι πρός σε περὶ τούτων πάντων.
γ[ε]γράφαμεν οὖν σοι ὅπως εἰδῆις.
ἔρρωσο. (ἔτους) κζ, Αὐδναίου η.
[Fragmentary beginning]
"...petition...to receive...of themselves..."
"...everything well...with his own body...
having served nothing of such magnitude...
They said through the petition and their own [statements] that they had been passed over. Melas, however, from the [accounts?] demonstrated concerning the village-lessee [ ... ] of the remaining kor-measures (20 and 2),
in order to collect so that from what had been produced they might repay from the 12 kor.
Thus it appeared to us that they had also profited from this arrangement."
"[Fragmentary]...Melas admitted indeed that he had received [something], but because there was no water available for them, the grape husks were spoiling;
and he himself had need for the bodies [workers?]...
Moreover, most had their own vineyards from which they had grape husks;
and for those who did not have vineyards, he himself claimed to provide sufficient amounts.
They also accused him concerning figs, because they had been charged by him threefold for the produce..."
"[Fragmentary]...unjustly...and other such things...that he had done to them in the 27th year concerning the figs and had set aside from the produce...having arrived from Egypt..."
"[Fragmentary]...to be orderly and disciplined; and that if they do these things, they will receive from you all kindness.
Having urged these things, we sent them away.
Melas therefore requested us to write to you concerning all these matters.
Thus we have written to you so that you may know.
Farewell. Year 27, Audnaios 8."