One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 15398
Governor's order to Oxyrhynchite officials to recover gold and silver from traders TM 15398Herakleopolis28. Jan. 342
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 3 records across 2 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
An official letter from Flavius Julius Ausonius, governor of Augustamnica, to two leading councillors of Oxyrhynchus, ordering them to collect gold and silver from the traders named in their list, not from exempt non-traders, and to repay it to a benefactor who had advanced it. It was issued at Herakleopolis on 28 January 342.
In English machine translation
Flavius Julius Ausonius to Aetios and Dioskoros, propoliteuomenoi of the Oxyrhynchites, greetings.
Without troubling those who have not taken up the life of a trader but also hold an order from my Devotion, demand payment from the traders themselves and from all those submitted (for liability) whose names you sent, and restore the gold and the silver. For it is just that the man who did a benefaction should now at least recover what he advanced. Farewell.
In the consulship of our lords Constantius Augustus for the third time and Constans Augustus for the second time.
[margin]
Given on the 5th day before the Kalends of February at Herakleopolis.
[verso]
To Aetios and Dioskoros, propoliteuomenoi of the Oxyrhynchites.
Propoliteuomenoi were leading members of the city council acting for the town; the levy in gold and silver probably relates to the tax on traders (collatio lustralis). The dating and subscription are in Latin, the body in Greek.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letter of a Praeses Augustamnicae). 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.oxy.50.3577
[r,ctr] Φλάουϊος Ἰούλιος Αὐσόνιος Ἀετίῳ καὶ Διοσκόρῳ προπολιτευομένοις Ὀξυρυγχιτῶν χαίρειν. μηδὲν ὀχλήσαντες τοῖς μὴ πραγματευτικὸν ἐπανῃρημένοις βίον ἀλλὰ καὶ πρόσταγμα ἔχουσιν τῆς ἐμῆς καθοσιώσεως, αὐτοὺς τοὺς πραγματευτὰς καὶ ὑποβληθέντας ἀπαιτήσαντες πάντας ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα ἐξαπ…