p.oxy.42.3035
παρὰ τοῦ πρυτάνεως κωμάρχαις καὶ ἐπιστάταις εἰρήνης κώμης Μερμέρθων. ἐξαυτῆς ἀναπέμψατε Πετοσορᾶπιν Ὥρου χριστιανὸν, ἢ ὑμεῖς αὐτοὶ ἀνέλθατε. ἔτους γ Οὐαλεριανοῦ καὶ Γαλλιηνοῦ Σεβαστῶν Φαμενὼθ γ.
One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 16434
Order to arrest Petosarapis son of Horos, a Christian TM 16434Oxyrhynchos28. Febr. 256
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 2 records across 2 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
An order from the prytanis (presiding magistrate of the town council) of Oxyrhynchus to the village headmen and police officials of Mermertha, telling them to send Petosarapis son of Horos, described as a Christian, to the city at once or to come themselves. It is dated 28 February 256, under the emperors Valerian and Gallienus.
In English machine translation
From the prytanis.
To the komarchs and the overseers of the peace of the village of Mermertha. Send up at once Petosarapis son of Horos, Christian, or else come up yourselves.
Year 3 of Valerian and Gallienus Augusti, Phamenoth 3.
The scribe wrote 'chrisianos', corrected to 'Christianos'; this is one of the earliest documentary attestations of the word, predating Valerian's persecution edicts of 257. The komarchs were village headmen and the 'overseers of the peace' (epistatai eirenes) were local police officials.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Order to Arrest). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.