Oath of the Sluice Guards
Oath submitted to the inspector of sowing of the Arsinoite nome by four priests of Tebtynis who ;;have been appointed guards of two sluice gates, which apparently opened onto temple land
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 12074
Oath of four priests of Tebtynis as sluice guards TM 12074Tebtynis, Polemonos meris, Arsinoite nome, province of EgyptSeptember 13, 24 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 →
Sworn declaration by four priests of Tebtynis to Gaius Julius Philetus, inspector of sowing of the Arsinoite nome, undertaking to guard two sluices of the priests, east and west of the bridge, and to be liable for any damage from collapse or breach. Written by the village scribe Apion in AD 24 because the priests were illiterate.
In English machine translation
Marepsemis, about 21 years old, scar on the left calf.
Pecheus, about 45 years old, scar on the left thumb.
Sokonopis, about 40 years old, scar on the first finger of the left hand.
Phanesis, about 39 years old, scar on the left calf.
To Gaius Julius Philetus, inspector of sowing of the Arsinoite nome,
from Marepsemis son of Marepsemis son of Kalatytis and Pecheus son of Psoiphis, who guard the sluice of the priests west of the bridge, and from Sokonopis son of Sokonopis and Phanesis son of Pastoous, who guard the sluice of the priests on the east. We, the four priests of those from Tebtynis in the division of Polemon, guarding the two aforementioned sluices, swear by Tiberius Caesar Augustus Novus Imperator, son of the god Augustus, that each of us will truly guard his own sluice without any expense and will be in attendance every hour so that nothing less (than required) follows; and if any collapse or breach occurs, we ourselves shall be liable for all the damage that results. If we keep the oath may it be well with us, if we break it the opposite.
Apion, scribe of the village, wrote on their behalf since they do not know letters. Year 11 of Tiberius Caesar Augustus, month Sebastos 16.
I, Marepsemis son of Marepsemis son of Kalatytis, have sworn together the aforementioned oath and will guard and act as stated above. Year 11 of Tiberius Caesar Augustus, month Sebastos 16.
Sebastos is the honorific name for the month Thoth. The nomographos was a village scribe who drew up documents for those unable to write.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Oath of the Sluice Guards). 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.5.233
Μαρεψῆμις ὡς ἐτῶν κα, οὐλὴ γαστροκνημίᾳ ἀριστερᾷ Πεχεῦς ὡς ἐτῶν με, οὐλὴ ἀντίχειρι ἀριστερῷ. Σοκονῶπις ὡς ἐτῶν μ, οὐλὴ δακτύλῳ πρώτῳ χειρὸς ἀριστερᾶς. Φανῆσις ὡς ἐτῶν λθ, οὐλὴ γαστροκνημίᾳ ἀριστερᾷ. Γαίωι Ἰουλίωι Φιλήτωι κατασπορεῖ Ἀρσινοείτου παρὰ Μαρεψήμιος τοῦ Μαρεψήμιος Καλατ…