Μ̣αρκέλ̣λ̣ῳ τῷ διασημο̣τ̣άτῳ διέπον̣[τ]ι τ̣ὰ̣ [μέ]ρ̣[η τῆς] ἡγεμονείας
παρὰ Ρωσταμ[ου]
ο]υ τῶν ἀπὸ Βείρθας
Ταλαιπω]ρίαν πάσχων, δέσποτα, ἐπὶ σὲ καταφεύγω καὶ ἀξιῶ εὐμενῶς προσέσθαι μου [τὴν ἀξίω]σιν· τε[λ]ευτῶν γὰρ, κύριε, ὁ δηλούμενός μου πατὴρ κατέλειψέν μοι ἄμπελον [ἐν τῇ Β]είρθᾳ
ὄντι πάνυ νεωτέρῳ· συνβὰ[ν]
δ̣ὲ τὴν Περσῶν καὶ γεγενῆσθαι
ἐκφυγεῖν καὶ γενέσθαι ἐν Ἀππάδνᾳ τὴν ἐφήμερον τροφὴν πορι̣-
μετ]ὰ δὲ ταῦτα γενομένου μου ἐν τῇ Βείρθᾳ
καὶ βουλομένου τὴν αὐτὴν καταλει- [φθεῖσάν] μ̣οι ἄμπελον καρπίσασθαι, Βαρσημαιας τις Θαϊμου, ἀνὴρ πάνυ βίαιος καὶ αὐθά- [δης ὑπάρ]χων πολύ τε ἐν τοῖς τόποις δυνάμενος, οὐκ οἶδα τίνι λόγῳ ἢ ποίῳ δικαίῳ [χρησά]μενος διακατέσχεν τὴν αὐτὴν ἄμπελον ὡς ἀπὸ ἑξαετοῦς χρόνου μέχρις [σήμερον (?)], καταφρονένας
μου τῆς μετριότητος τῷ μηδενα\ν/
[ ὑ]πʼ ἐμοῦ ἐντυχιῶν τῷ κατὰ τόπους ἑκατοντάρχῳ φροντίδα ποιούμενος.
[ἐπε]ὶ̣ οὖν, κύρι[ε], οὐδαμόθεν ἔχω ἐγδικίας
τυχεῖν ἐὰν μὴ ἡ σὴ συνεπινεύσῃ μοι τύχη, ὀχλοῦμε
γὰρ καὶ ὑπὸ Βαθσαββαθας γενεμενης δανιστρη τοῦ αὐτοῦ πατρός μου ᾗ καὶ ὑπό- κειτε
ἡ αὐτὴ ἄμπελος,
ἀξιῶ καὶ δέομαι, εἴ σου τῇ τύχῃ δοκῇ, διʼ ὑπογραφῆς σου κελεῦσε τ̣ῷ ἐν Ἀπ[πά]δ̣νᾳ ἐπιτρόπῳ Κλ(αυδίῳ)· Ἀρίστωνι, ἢ ο ἄν σου τῇ τύχῃ δοκῇ, τὴν τοῦ αὐτοῦ Βαρ- σ̣ημαια κ̣[
καιλεῦσε δὲ αὐτῷ οὗ χρόνο̣[υ ἐ]καρπίσατο ἀποδοῦναί μοι τὰς προσόδους. οὕτως γὰρ διὰ τὴ̣[ν σὴ]ν τύχην ἀνὴρ μέτριος τῶν ἐ̣[μ]ῶ̣ν μὴ στερεθεὶς καὶ ἀνεπηριαστος μείνας [ἕ]ξω σοι εἰς̣ [ἀεὶ εὐ]χ̣αριστεῖν.
Κλάτιος [
ἐρωτηθὶς ἔγραψα ὑπὲρ [Ρωστα]μου ἀγραμμάτου διαπενψαμένου τὰ πιτάκια
δ̣ιε̣[ χ[ ]ι.
(none extracted)
To Markellos, the most distinguished, it is decreed that the days of the governorship are under Rustamus.
Suffering from hardship, my lord, I flee to you and I ask that you kindly grant my request; for my father, who is known, has left me a vineyard in Bēirtha, which is very young.
Having come to an agreement with the Persians and having been born, I barely escaped and was nourished in Appadna.
After this, having been in Bēirtha and wishing to inherit the same vineyard, a certain Barsimaias, son of Thaimos, a very violent and arrogant man, who is very powerful in those places, I do not know by what reason or by what right he has seized the same vineyard as if for six years until today, despising my mediocrity and having no regard for those who are born from me, making care for the centurion according to the places.
Therefore, my lord, since I have no means of vengeance unless your fortune agrees with me, for I am also troubled by the same Barsabathas, born of my father, to whom the same vineyard is subject.
I ask and beseech you, if it seems good to your fortune, to command by your signature to the steward in Appadna, Claudius; to Aristos, or if it seems good to your fortune, to command the same Barsimaias to give me the profits of the vineyard which he has harvested for a time. Thus, because of your fortune, a man of moderate means of mine, not being deprived and remaining untroubled, I will be outside to thank you forever.
Claudius, when asked, wrote on behalf of Rustamus, an illiterate man, sending the letters.