Sale of a Donkey
End of a contract for the sale of a donkey
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 12046
Sale of a donkey TM 12046Karanis (Arsinoites)May 7, 283 or 284 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 →
The end of a contract for the sale of a donkey, with the seller's guarantee against third-party claims and his subscription, written for him by an optio because he was illiterate. It is dated Pachon 12 in the reign of Carinus and Numerianus, i.e. 7 May 284, at Karanis in the Arsinoite nome.
In English machine translation
[…] drachmas, which I have received from you in full, [the guarantee following me] against every person who shall make a claim. [The sale is valid, and having been] asked, I have agreed.
[Year …] of our lords Marcus Aurelius Carinus [and Numerianus], Pachon 12.
[I, …, have sold] the aforesaid donkey [and received the price as] stated above, and having been asked, I have agreed. I, […]tos, optio, wrote [on his behalf, since he does not know letters].
The regnal year is lost, so one record allows 283 or 284. An optio was a junior military officer, here acting as scribe for the illiterate seller.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Sale of a Donkey). 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.9.553
[…]δραχμὰς ἃς ἀπέσχον παρʼ ὑμῶν ἐκ πλήρους τῆς βεβαιώσεως ἐξακολουθούσης μοι ἀπὸ παντὸς τοῦ ἐπελευσομένου. κυρία ἡ πρᾶσις καὶ ἐπερωτηθεὶς ὡμολόγησα. ἔτους[…]τῶν κυρίων ἡμῶν Μάρκων Αὐρηλίων Καρείνου καὶ Νουμεριανοῦ Παχὼν ιβ. […]πέπρακα τὸν προκείμενον ὄνον καὶ ἀπέσχον τὴν τιμὴν κα…