Draft of a petition to the king

Description

The subject of the dispute was the ownership of a house at present occupied by a woman called Arsinoe, who claimed to have built it on an empty site. Zenon on the other hand claimed that the house was his and that it had been built by his servant Eutychos. But as Eutychos had formerly lived with Arsinoe and had children by her, she was able to persuade him, in order to avoid bearing witness in Zenon's favour, to take refuge in the temple of Sarapis at Memphis, where she kept him supplied with food. She then presented a petition to Agenor the strategos to the effect that Zenon had declared that he would produce as witness the men who built the house and supplied the materials, knowing that in the absence of Eutychos he would be unable to obtain their testimony. Agenor thereupon ordered Zenon to produce his witnesses or leave Arsinoe in occupation. Zenon now draws up a petition to the king, explaining how Eutychos had been got out of the way and asking that Arsinoe should be called upon to prove her claim and that, if she fails to do so, the house should be adjudged to him.