An offer to lease land addressed to the minor Ptollarion, represented by his guardian Sabinus, by four men from quarters of the city who seek to rent his half share of holdings near Kerkesis and Kerkesephis for four years. The terms alternate fodder crops (money rent) and wheat (rent in kind) and set delivery and maintenance obligations; written in AD 165 in the Arsinoite nome.
In English machine translation
To Ptollarion son of Ptollarion, former gymnasiarch, a minor, through his guardian Sabinus, former gymnasiarch,
from Ptolemaios son of Theogiton son of Theogiton, from the Tameia quarter, and his son Harpokration, and Sabinus son of Patron son of Apion, and Isidoros son of Areios son of Ptolemaios, the two from the Therapeia quarter, the four of us. We wish to lease from you for four years from the coming sixth year of Antoninus and Verus the lords Augusti the half share belonging to you of a holding of 7 arouras near the village of Kerkesis and of a holding of 15 arouras near the village of Kerkesephis, all of them, or however many they may be; in the first and third year, 3 1/2 arouras for sowing with whatever crops we choose except wheat, and the rest for sowing with hay as fodder for oxen, at a rent for the two years, each year, without seed, for the land near Kerkesis of 140 silver drachmas, and for the land near Kerkesephis of 150 silver drachmas; and in the second and fourth year for sowing with wheat, at a rent in kind for the two years, each year, including the seed we shall receive, for the land near Kerkesis of 3 1/2 artabas of wheat (per aroura), a total of 52 1/2 artabas of wheat, and for the land near Kerkesephis of 7 1/2 artabas of wheat (per aroura), a total of 91 artabas of wheat, by your own 4-choinix measure, and as a customary gift each year 2 cheeses and 40 eggs, all free from deductions and risk. We shall carry out all the yearly work on the arouras that is required, at our own expense and at the proper seasons, and we shall pay the rent in kind each year in the month of Pauni on the threshing floor, new, clean and unadulterated, the measuring being done by one of your people, and the money rent in the month of Pharmouthi, the yearly transport charges for the hastening (?) being our responsibility, and the conveyance of the rent in kind to you being yours. And after the term we shall hand back the arouras clean of couch grass and all rushes except sedge and reed.
If it seems good to you, lease (to us).
The wheat rents of 3 1/2 and 7 1/2 artabas are per aroura, multiplied by the leased area (half of 7 and half of 15... as restored) to give the totals. Thallos is a customary gift in kind paid by tenants alongside the rent.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Affitto di Tolemeo e altri). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.