Petition of Antipatros against Nikon for usury and detention of his child TM 1796Philadelphia (Arsinoites)245 BCE – 244 BCE

[recto] To King Ptolemy, greetings from Antipatros, one of those from Philadelphia. I am wronged by Nikon. For having lent to my wife Simon 70 drachmas of silver, at interest of 6 drachmas per mina each month, and having added the interest to the principal, he drew up a loan contract with her for 115 drachmas, on which I was registered as guarantor. When I left Philadelphia because I was being falsely accused by Artemidoros, the agent of Apollonios the dioiketes, and opened a tavern in Upper Hermopolis, Nikon wrote a letter to Philadelphia to a certain Menestratos, our servant, in which he also writes that he would draw up a royal oath with us for his principal of 70 drachmas. When Menestratos wrote to me at Hermopolis to come, and I sailed down to Philadelphia, Nikon sailed up to Hermopolis and said he would hand my wife over to the collector (praktor) for the loan unless she willingly followed him. Simon, being afraid, sailed down together with Nikon with the child, and he took them to Herakleopolis and shut them up with certain persons, each separately. Simon escaped unnoticed and got away. But the child he still keeps shut up even now, and when we ask him to give it back, sometimes he admits that he holds it as a pledge for the loan, sometimes he denies it. I beg you therefore, King, to have my petition sent to the chrematistai, and if I show that the statements in the petition are true, that Nikon receive the appropriate punishment both for the interest which he wrote into the contract contrary to the ordinance and because he holds the free child imprisoned by his own action, and that the child be returned to me, so that having taken refuge with you, King, I may obtain justice. Farewell. [verso] […] (deleted)