Lawsuit Prepared by Zenon: P. Columbia III 54

Col. I In the thirtieth year of the reign of Ptolemy, son of Ptolemy Soter, when Alexander son of Leonidas was priest of Alexander and of the brother-sister gods and Prepousa daughter of Demetrios was basket bearer of Arsinoe Philadelphos, in the month Panemos, Epeiph the tenth of the Egyptians, Hegesarchos son of Theopompos and Theopompos son of Hegesarchos and Nikodemos son of Hegesarchos, all three of them Macedonians of the Epigone, have taken over for a year from Zenon son of Agreophon, a Caunian of those about Apollonios the dioecetes, out of the 10,000 arouras in the Arsinoite nome near Philadelphia of gift land from the King to Apollonios the dioecetes, one hundred arouras of seed land located in the third basin counting from north to south, at seven and one-eighth artabs in wheat per aroura warranted against risk and not subject to deduction of any kind. Advances will be made [as follows]: upon the wheat-bearing land, seed grain, one-half an artab per aroura; upon the barley-bearing land, [seed grain] proportionally, and for expense money on each aroura one artab of barley and for weeding one-half an artab of barley; and for grubbing, if brushwood develops [on the land], whatever may be agreed to be enough to be given upon each aroura. Hegesarchos and Theopompos and Nikodemos are to measure out the grain for the rent in the granary in Philadelphia in accordance with the ordinance on grain collection, in the month Daisios in the thirty-first year, and in like manner whatever wheat they may receive for seed and weeding and expenses and whatever money they may borrow against the brushwood, or grain in place of money, paying for the wheat at one drachma two obols copper per artab, for the barley proportionally. Hegesarchos and Theopompos and Nikodemos are to sow two thirds of the land which they have taken in wheat, the other third in barley. If they do not do according as they have agreed, it is permissible for Zenon to lease the land to others. Whatever injury they may do to the revenue of Apollonios, or, in respect of the rent and the loans whatever balance they may owe, they shall pay it back to Zenon increased by one-half without delay. Zenon is to have the right of execution, or another acting in his behalf, upon their persons and the sureties and all that belongs to them, upon one and upon all as in the case of debts to the crown. Guarantors of the terms stipulated in the contract for purpose of payment, are the contracting parties, each for the other, and Ammonios son of Theon, Cyrenaean, surety for the subsidiary obligations [?]. This deed is to be valid wherever it is produced. Witnesses: Damis son of Kleon; Sostratos son of Kleon, both from Eleneios; Theopompos son of Aristion, Thessalian, a physician; Diodoros son of Zopyros, a Magnesian of those in the service of Apollonios the dioecetes; Agathinos son of Pyrrhos, a Cyrenaean, surety for the subsidiary obligations [?]; Anosis son of Totorchois, a Saite, village scribe of Philadelphia. Keeper of the contract, Damis.

Col. II The rent of the 100 arouras, reckoned in wheat, is 712 1/2 artabs [changed from 785 1/2 1/4. And they have as seed, reckoned in wheat, 73 1/4 artabs. And that given for the sowing and the remaining [farm] labors is 100 drachmas copper, which, expressed in wheat in accordance with the contract of lease at the rate of 1 artab = 1 drachma 2 obols, amounts to 75 artabs of wheat. Total, artabs of wheat 860 1/2 1/4 Upon this (have been paid artabs of wheat 73 1/4 ?) Into the granary, reckoned in wheat, artabs 17 1/2 1/12 [Marginal note:] They owe, wheat 769 1/2 1/3 1/12 And payment of forfeit of one-half, year 31 to year 35, five years, for each year, artabs of wheat 347 1/3 For the five years, " " " 1,736 2/3 Altogether they owe, " " " 2,506 1/2 1/12 [changed from 2,532 1/3 1/ 12]

Col. III 25 12 1/2 [2d hand:] Year 36, month Xandikos. Add [the] day. Zenon [lays claim against] Theopompos son of Hegesarchos, Macedonian of the Epigone, for the remainder of the rent which they owed upon the hundred arouras [marginal note:] which he received with Hegesarchos and Nikodemos [text continued:] for the 31st year, in the 10,000 arouras given by the King in gift to Apollonios the dioecetes near Philadelphia of the Arsinoite-to Kraton servant of Diogenes, exactor of private debts-for 694 1/2 1/3 1/12 artabs. You must add the forfeit of one-half according to the contract, and state the [money] value of the whole in accordance with the ordinance, the one published regarding grain prices. [You must] also make inquiries at the royal granary [and] indicate to the exactor the [money] value of the whole according to the contract. You must add that execution is to be as in the case of debts to the crown. And the decision, if he opposes the claim, will be rendered a little later. For since there is no tribunal sitting in the Arsinoite [at the present time], I assume that the decision in matters of this kind rests with the strategus.

Verso, right end Reckoning against Theopompos. Verso, left end Reckoning

 

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