Copy of a Petition Regarding a Court Summons
End of a copy of a petition and of the subsequent appeal to an unknown official, concerning a defendant failing to appear
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 12029
Copy of a petition and subscription concerning an opponent's failure to appear in court TM 12029Karanis (Arsinoites, Ägypten)(Copied after) February 24, 156 A.D. (date of the petition: February 19, 156 A.D.)
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 →
End of a copy of a petition complaining that an opponent had not yet appeared, followed by the official's reply that the petitioner should apply again if the summoned opponent failed to obey. A note adds that on Mecheir 29 the petitioner appeared before the tribunal through the advocate Ammonios, the opponent was called three times without answering, and this was minuted. From Karanis, AD 156.
In English machine translation
[… lines lost …]
[…] but […]
he has not yet appeared up to now,
so that I may have been benefited by you. Farewell.
Year 19 of Imperator Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius, Mecheir 24.
Copy of the subscription:
If your opponent is summoned and does not obey, petition (again). Deliver.
Year 19, Mecheir 24.
After the subscription: I petitioned before the tribunal through Ammonios the advocate on the 29th of the same month, and my opponent was proclaimed before the tribunal three times and did not obey, and they recorded it in the minutes.
The petition and subscription are dated Mecheir 24 (18 February in the Julian calendar would be expected; records give 24 February), and the court appearance on Mecheir 29; one record dates the petition to 19 February. The calling of the absent party three times before the tribunal was the standard formal step before proceeding against a defaulting defendant.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Copy of a Petition Regarding a Court Summons). 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.mich.9.534
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