Account of household wheat
Fragments of a long account of household wheat.
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 1203
Daily account of household wheat and bread rations TM 1203Kharabet el Gerza (ancient Philadelphia)246 - 245 B.C. (?)
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 4 records across 3 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
A long day-by-day account of household wheat issued to a baker and turned into bread rations for named members of a household, probably that of Zenon at Philadelphia, running from Phaophi through Hathyr into Choiak of year 2. It records daily rations, extra baking for guests and a sacrifice, purchases, and wheat received from Satyros and Herakleides; the back carries a list of names.
In English machine translation
[recto]
Year 2, Phaophi 9. Account of grain. The grain given to the baker through Satyros is: wheat, 1/4 artaba;
16th, another 3 artabas;
total 7 artabas (?) in all.
Phaophi 9: to Zenon 1 1/2 choinikes,
to Epharmostos 1 choinix, to Apollonios 1 1/2, to Styrax 1 1/2, total 5 1/2 choinikes,
and difference 2 1/2 1/4 choinikes;
to Doxaios 1 1/2, to Ophelion 1 1/2,
to Poros 1 1/2, to Damon 1 1/2,
to Charmides 1 1/2, to Stachys 1,
to Theodosios 1, to Doros 1,
to Hediste 1, to Kyon 1.
Total for the day 1/2 artaba 1/2 1/4 choinix.
10th likewise 1/2, 1/2 1/4 choinix; 11th 1/2 artaba 1/4 choinix;
12th 1/2 artaba 1/2 1/4 choinix; 13th 1/2 artaba 1/2 1/4 choinix; 14th 1/2, 1/2 1/4 choinix;
15th 1/2 artaba 1/2 1/4 choinix; 16th 1/2, 1/2 1/4 choinix. Total 4 artabas 6 choinikes.
[…] 2 1/2 1/4 artabas 4 choinikes, of which
17th ration 1/2 artaba 1/2 1/4 choinix, remainder 2 1/4 artabas 3 1/4 choinikes.
18th from the account 2 1/4 artabas 3 1/4 choinikes, of which
ration 1/2 artaba 1/2 1/4 choinix, remainder 1 1/2 1/4 artabas 2 1/2 choinikes, of which
19th ration 1/2 artaba 1/2 1/4 choinix, and for the table of the Dioskouroi 6 1/2 choinikes, and loss, total 3 1/4 choinikes; total 1/2 1/4 artaba 1/2 choinix; remainder 1 artaba 2 1/4 choinikes, of which
[…]
20th ration, deducting Zenon, Ophelion, Doros, 4 choinikes: 1/4 artaba 6 1/2 1/4 choinikes.
21st likewise 1/4 artaba 6 1/2 1/4 choinikes; total 1/2 1/4, 3 1/2 choinikes; remainder 8 1/2 1/4 choinikes;
and he has 3 artabas; total 3 artabas 8 1/2 1/4 choinikes, of which
22nd ration 1/4, 6 1/2 1/4 choinikes; 23rd ration 1/4, 6 1/2 1/4 choinikes;
24th ration 1/4, 6 1/2 1/4 choinikes; 25th ration 1/4, 6 1/2 1/4 choinikes;
26th ration 1/4, 6 1/2 1/4 choinikes; 27th ration 1/4, 6 1/2 1/4 choinikes;
28th ration 1/4, 6 1/2 1/4 choinikes; total 2 1/2 1/4 artabas 7 1/4 choinikes.
Remainder 1/4 artaba 1 1/2 choinikes, and he has 1 artaba;
total 1 1/4 artabas 1 1/2 choinikes; of these
29th ration 1/4, 6 1/2 1/4 choinikes, and to Philoxenos 1 1/2;
30th ration including Philoxenos 1/4, 8 1/4 choinikes;
total 1/2 1/4 artaba 6 1/2 choinikes; remainder 1/4, 5 choinikes;
and he has 1 artaba; total 1 1/4 artabas 5 choinikes.
Hathyr 1: ration, with added baking for Zenon 1 1/2, Ophelion 1 1/2, Doros 1, total 4 choinikes; total 1/2 artaba 2 1/4 choinikes;
remainder 1/2 1/4, 2 1/2 1/4 choinikes.
2nd from the account 1/2 1/4 artaba 2 1/2 1/4 choinikes,
and he has 2 artabas; total 2 1/2 1/4 artabas 2 1/2 1/4 choinikes, of which
ration 1/2, 2 1/4 choinikes; 3rd ration 1/2, 2 1/4 choinikes;
and to Kyon the extra baked 1/2 choinix;
total 1 artaba 5 choinikes; remainder 1 1/2 artabas 7 1/2 1/4 choinikes.
4th from the account 1 1/2 artabas 7 1/2 1/4 choinikes, of which
4th ration 1/2 artaba 2 1/2 1/4 choinikes; 5th ration 1/2 artaba 2 1/2 1/4 choinikes;
6th ration 1/2 artaba 2 1/2 1/4 choinikes; total 1 1/2 artabas 8 1/4 choinikes, 1 choinix more; but he has 1 artaba; remainder 1/2 1/4 artaba 9 choinikes, of which
7th ration 1/2 artaba 2 1/2 1/4 choinikes, remainder 1/4, 6 1/4 choinikes.
8th from the account 1/4, 6 1/4 choinikes, and he has 3 artabas; total 3 1/4 artabas 6 1/4 choinikes;
of these ration, Zenon, Ophelion and Doros being away, 4 1/2 1/4 choinikes;
18 choinikes; 9th 1/4, 8 choinikes;
10th, deducting Philoxenos 1 1/2 choinikes,
ration 1/4, 6 1/2 choinikes; 11th ration 1/4, 6 1/2 choinikes;
total 1 1/2 artabas 9 choinikes; remainder 1 1/2 artabas 7 1/2 choinikes; and
for Apollonios from the 6th to the 11th,
6 days at 1 1/2 choinikes a day, total 9 choinikes,
and the difference 4 1/2 choinikes; total 1/4, 3 1/2 choinikes;
grand total 2 artabas 1/2 1/4 choinix, of which
to Terpos from the 1st to the 11th, 11 days,
at 1 1/2 choinikes a day, total 1/4, 6 1/2 choinikes; remainder 1 1/2 artabas 4 1/4 choinikes, of which
12th ration including Terpos 1/4 artaba 8 choinikes; 13th ration 1/4 artaba 8 choinikes; 14th ration 1/4, 8 choinikes; total 1 1/4 artabas 4 choinikes;
remainder 1/2 artaba 1/4 choinix; and he has, from the 10 artabas from Herakleides, 5 artabas; total 5 1/2, 1/4 choinix, of which
15th ration 1/4, 8 choinikes; 16th 1/4, 8 choinikes; 17th 1/4, 8 choinikes; total 1 1/4, ⟨4⟩ choinikes;
and […] 1/4 artaba
[…]
to Ophelion 2 1/2 choinikes; for Zenon and Timokles the Limnaean there was baked in addition to those being baked 2 1/2 choinikes, 1 1/2 choinikes, which makes 2 1/4; total 4 1/2 1/4 choinikes;
remainder 1 1/2 choinikes.
18th from the account 1 1/2 choinikes, and he has 2 artabas, of which
ration 1/2, 2 1/2 1/4 choinikes; 19th ration 1/2, 2 1/2 1/4 choinikes;
⟦20th ration 1/2, 2 1/2 1/4 choinikes; total 1 1/2 artabas 8 1/4 choinikes⟧
20th and […] total 7 1/2 choinikes;
total 1 1/4 artabas 3 choinikes; remainder 1/2 artaba 8 1/2 choinikes.
On the 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th,
from the 4 artabas that had been baked, what was needed was given;
and for the sacrifice, for cakes, 1/2 choinix;
22nd, Nestos and his people being present,
of pure (loaves) 8 choinikes;
for Demeas' affairs, for flat cakes, 1 choinix;
23rd, pure (loaves) for us 4 choinikes;
24th likewise 4 choinikes;
total of pure (loaves) 1/4 artaba 7 1/2 choinikes, which makes
in wheat […] 1/2 artaba 6 1/4 choinikes; remainder 2 1/4 choinikes.
25th from the account 2 1/4 choinikes, and purchased 1/2 1/4 artaba 7 1/2 1/4 choinikes; total 2 artabas, of which
ration 1/2 artaba 5 1/2 1/4 choinikes;
26th likewise 1/2 artaba 5 1/2 1/4 choinikes;
total 1 1/4 artabas 1 1/2 choinikes; remainder 1/2, 8 1/2 choinikes.
27th from the account 1/2 artaba 8 1/2 choinikes, and he has 2 artabas, of which ration 1/2, 5 1/2 1/4 choinikes
[margin]
from the 10 artabas from Herakleides
[recto]
and to Apollonios, of pure (loaves) 1 choinix, which makes 1 1/2;
total ration 1/2 artaba 7 1/4 choinikes.
28th ration 1/2, 7 1/4 choinikes; total 1 1/4 artabas 4 1/2 choinikes;
remaining 1 1/4 artabas 4 choinikes.
29th from the account 1 1/4 artabas 4 choinikes, of which
ration 1/2, 7 1/4 choinikes; 30th ration, deducting Zenon 1 choinix and loss 1/2 choinix, Ophelion and Doros 2 1/2 choinikes,
in all 4 choinikes; remainder 1/2 artaba 3 1/4 choinikes;
total 1 1/4 artabas 1/2 choinix; remainder 3 1/2 choinikes.
Choiak 1, from the account 3 1/2 choinikes, and he has
3 1/4 artabas 3 choinikes; total 3 1/4 artabas 6 1/2 choinikes, of which
ration: to Epharmostos 1 1/2 choinikes, to Apollonios 1 1/2, to Styrax 1, total 4 choinikes,
making in wheat 6 choinikes; to Doxaios 1 1/2,
to Charmides 1 1/2, to Poros 1 1/2,
to Damon 1 1/2, to Terpos 1 1/2,
to Noumenios 1 1/2, to Theodosios 1,
to Stachys 1, to Hediste 1,
to Kyon 1 1/2, to Spinther 1 1/2
[…]
[…] 1/4 artaba 5 choinikes; total 1 1/2 1/4 artabas 4 choinikes;
[…] 6 choinikes, and purchased
another 2 artabas; total 2 artabas 6 choinikes.
From the account 2 artabas 6 choinikes, of which, deducting
Eutychos and Damis 2 1/2 choinikes, ration
1/2 artaba 7 choinikes; and to Zenon and Demeas
on the 7th 1 1/2 choinikes, which makes 2 1/4; to Doros 1 choinix
[…] 1 choinix, which makes 1 1/2 choinikes; to Ballion
on the 8th 1 1/2 choinikes; total 1/2 1/4 artaba 3 1/4 choinikes.
9th ration, Ballion being added, 1/2, 8 1/2 choinikes; 10th ration 1/2, 8 1/2 choinikes;
total 2 1/4 artabas 1/4 choinix; deficit 4 1/4 choinikes.
11th deficit 4 1/4 choinikes; for this we have
from Satyros 1 artaba; remainder 1/2 1/4, 5 1/2 1/4 choinikes, of which
ration 1/2, 8 1/2 choinikes; remainder 7 1/4 choinikes.
And we have those from Herakleides, so as to have, toward the 80 artabas, 70 artabas, 50 artabas;
total 50 artabas 7 1/4 choinikes, of which […] 15 artabas
[…]
[…] 1 1/2
Sannos the groom 1 1/2
to Diognetos […] 1
to the swineherd who pastures the breeding sows of Eutychides 1 1/2
and to the one who (pastures) those of Epharmostos […]
to Glaukias […]
total 26 1/2 artabas 5 choinikes; remainder 23 1/2 artabas 2 1/4 choinikes;
and for Kallikon from the 10th to the 11th 2 choinikes, which makes 3 choinikes;
total 23 1/2, 5 1/4 choinikes.
12th ration, deducting Kallikon 1 choinix, which makes 1 1/2 choinikes: 1/2 artaba 7 choinikes.
13th, Hermon having arrived from K[…]
[…]
[…] Timokles, Heliodoros and Iason being present, they used in addition 2 1/2 choinikes, which make 3 1/4 choinikes;
ration 1/2, 7 choinikes; total 1/2 1/4, 1/4 choinix.
[…]
[verso]
Peritios = Phaophi 1: 5 choinikes
[…]
Phar…s
Styrax
Iason, Neon
Herodotos […]
Theophilos, Archagathos
Ariston
Apollodoros
Glaukias
Satyros
[…]
[…]lon
Noumenios
Nikias
Demetrios
Diognetos
⟦…⟧
A…abos
Horos
Damon
Spinther
Ballion
Charmides
Artemides
Sannos
The records differ on the date (one gives 1 June 246 BC, another 246-245 BC) and on whether Philadelphia is certain. Rations are counted in artabas and choinikes; 'pure' (katharoi) refers to fine loaves, converted back into their wheat equivalent.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Account of household wheat). 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.cair.zen.4.59569
[r,ctr] ἔτους β, Φαῶφι θ. λόγος σίτου. ἔστιν ὁ δεδομένος τῶι σιτοποιῶι σῖτος διὰ Σατύρου πυροῦ ἀρτάβαι δ ιϛ ἄλλας ἀρτάβας γ γίνονται ἀρτάβαι ζ τὸ πᾶν. Φαῶφι θ Ζήνωνι χοῖνιξ α 𐅵 Ἐφαρμόστωι χοίνιξ α Ἀπολλωνίωι α 𐅵 Στύρακι α 𐅵 γίνονται χοίνικες ε 𐅵 καὶ διάφορον χοινίκες β 𐅵 δ Δοξαίω…