Petition of a public farmer against the village scribe's secretary TM 10545Theadelphia (Arsinoites)3 CE

To Asklepiades, royal scribe, from Marsisouchos son of Marres, of those from Theadelphia in the division of Themistes, public farmer. In the present 33rd year of Caesar I have had ceded to me by Pnepheros son of Tithoes, public farmer, the 24 arouras of public land in his name near the village; and after I had taken them over and banked them and partly flooded them for the sowing of the same year, Soterichos, secretary of the village scribe of the village, on some pretext or other, sent the praktor and the guard to the fields; they dragged me off and handed me over to Soterichos' account, though I owed absolutely nothing, and I was not released until after a considerable sum. The same Soterichos also carried off my cloak and hindered me in the sowing of the public lands which I farm, though the season is pressing, so that no small damage has resulted for me. Since, therefore, Soterichos holds in his keeping my poll-tax receipts for six years, I ask you to order that Soterichos be brought before you, so that he may receive instructions to keep away from me and be compelled to return to me what he has of mine, so that nothing of the public revenues may suffer loss. Farewell. Year 33 of Caesar, Phaophi 13.