Petition of grain collectors of Soknopaiou Nesos about seized shore land TM 11816Soknopaiu Nesos (Arsinoites)187 - 188

To Apollonios also called Ptolemaios, strategos of the Arsinoite nome, Herakleides division, from Apynchis son of Apynchis and his fellow grain collectors (praktores) of the village of Soknopaiou Nesos. The land allotted to the aforesaid village from the plains of the village of Bakchias, for which the dues in rent are being paid by us without fault, since there is also around Soknopaiou Nesos shore land (aigialitis), whenever it was not sown we made good from our own resources the deficit on it in a very great quantity of wheat. But now in the present 28th year, the Nile having flooded and our land having been sown, the people from Theogenous seized the land by force, which we also made known to you, asking that they should pay the deficit. Therefore I submit this ⟨and ask⟩ that you order them to be brought before you and to hear us against them, since we pay the pasturage dues of the shore land to the overseers (epiteretai), so that through your help we may be able, remaining in our own place, to fulfil what is due. Year 28 of Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Caesar the lord.