Select Papyri, 2.277 (original) (raw)
PETITION TO THE STRATEGOS
Greek text: PRein 18 ( PDion 11 )
Date: 108 B.C.
To Asclepiades, king's cousin and strategos, from Dionysius son of Cephalas, cultivator of Crown land, of the village of Tenis also called Akoris in the Morhite district. For reasons which will be indicated in the course of the affair I and my mother Senabollous made with Admetus also called Chesthotes, of the same village, a contract of loan through the record-office for 150 artabas of wheat in the 9th year ; not only so, but I also made with him for guarantee a contract of mortgage on the unoccupied sites which I possess. Having obtained these agreements the accused performed none of the things about which we had come to terms, whereby he has caused me no slight damage; and now on wrongful grounds, seeing me busily engaged in sowing the land which I cultivate, he persecutes me and does not allow me to attend to the cultivation in spite of the decrees repeatedly issued about us cultivators ; wherefore as the land threatens to get out of hand, being unable at present to go to law with him about the agreements, I have been compelled to seek your protection. I request you, if you approve, to give orders first of all for a letter to be written to the epistates of Akoris not to allow the accused to molest either me or my mother, and to give me a safe-conduct in writing, until I have finished the sowing and can settle accounts with him on every point. By this means none of the king's interests will suffer, while I myself shall obtain relief. Farewell.
{Below, the order of the strategos} To Bias. If he is a cultivator of Crown land, see to it that he remains undisturbed until he finishes the sowing. Year 10, Thoth 24.
{Addressed} To Bias.
{Docket} From Dionysius.
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