Undertaking with oath
The oath is sworn by six presbuteroi d�mosi�n ge�rg�n of the village of Oxyrhyncha. The undertaking concerned is the prevention of the inundation of the drumoi.
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 11182
Oath of village elders not to let water into the thickets TM 11182OxyrhynchaA.D. 53
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 3 records across 3 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
A sworn undertaking by the elders of the public farmers of the village of Oxyrhyncha in the Fayum, addressed to the officials in charge of sowing in the nome. They swear by the emperor Claudius not to let water into the drymoi (thickets or scrubland) nor allow anyone else to do so. It is dated 11 October 54.
In English machine translation
Herakleides son of Harmiysis, chief, aged 35, scar on left shin
Petsiris the elder, son of Theuonis, aged 45, scar on little finger of left hand
Diodoros son of Simon, aged about 55, scar on right eyebrow
Nepheros son of Patoes, aged 30, scar on neck at left
Harmiysis son of Sentheus, aged 50, scar on left forearm
We, Herakleides son of Harmiysis, chief, and Petsiris the elder, son of Theuonis, and Diodoros son of Simon, and Nepheros son of Patoes, and Harmiysis son of Sentheus, the six elders of the public farmers of Oxyrhyncha in the division of Polemon, to those appointed for the sowing of the nome: we swear by Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus Imperator that we will truly not allow anyone to let water into the thickets, nor will we let it in ourselves. If we keep our oath, may it be well with us; if we swear falsely, the opposite.
Year 15 of Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus Imperator, Phaophi 14.
The text speaks of 'six elders' though only five are named. Drymoi were wooded or scrub areas whose flooding was restricted; one record dates the text to AD 53.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Engagement sous serment d’empêcher l’inondation des δρυμοί). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
p.fouad.1.18
Ἡρακλείδης Ἁρμιύσιος ἡγούμενος ἐτῶν λε οὐλὴ ἀντικνημίῳ ἀριστερῷ Πετσῖρις πρεσβύτερος Θευώνιος ἐτῶν με οὐλὴ δακτύλῳ μικρῷ χειρὸς ἀριστερᾶς Διόδωρος Σίμωνος ὡς ἐτῶν νε οὐλὴ ὀφρύι δεξιᾷ Νεφερῶς Πατωῆτος ἐτῶν λ οὐλὴ τραχήλῳ ἐξ ἀριστερᾶς Ἁρμιῦσις Σενθέως ἐτῶν ν οὐλὴ πήχει ἀριστερῷ Ἡρα…