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One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 1970

Petition of Attalos against a collector of private debts TM 1970Arsinoitesca. 246-221 B.C. (reign of Ptolemy III)

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 →

A petition to King Ptolemy III from Attalos, complaining that Ptolemaios, an official charged with collecting private debts, failed to carry out an order to exact 43 drachmas from Apollonios the colt-breaker, who had not produced a woman named Apollonia. Attalos asks that the official himself be made to pay the triple penalty of 129 drachmas under the ordinance. It comes from the Arsinoite nome in the later 3rd century BC.

In English machine translation

To King Ptolemy, greeting from Attalos. I am wronged by Ptolemaios the younger, son of Ptolemaios, collector of private debts (praktor idiotikon). For when Serambos, deputy appointed by Aristomachos the strategos, wrote an order to Ptolemaios that, since Apollonios has not even yet produced Apollonia, if he does not produce her within 10 days, he should exact from Apollonios the colt-breaker 43 drachmas and pay them to me, he, though he received the order, and though Apollonios has not produced Apollonia and the days have passed and further time besides has elapsed, does not pay me the 43 drachmas when I demand them. I therefore beg you, if it please you, not to overlook my being wronged by him, but to order Aphthonetos the strategos to write to Serambos that, if this is true, he should exact from Ptolemaios the penalty threefold according to the ordinance, 129 drachmas, and pay them to me, and that I may through you obtain justice. Farewell.

The praktor idiotikon was the official who enforced judgments in private cases; the triple penalty (3 x 43 = 129 drachmas) was imposed on officials who failed in their duty. Apollonios seems to have stood surety to produce Apollonia.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Petition to the King from Attalos). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.

APIS-papyrus Full record →

Petition to the King

Papyri.info — APIS (Advanced Papyrological Information System) — papyri · P.Mich. inv. 3138 · ca. 246-221 B.C. (reign of Ptolemy III) · Arsinoites

Petition addressed to the king by a certain Attalos, to complain that Ptolemaios, praktor idiotikon, had done nothing to help him recover the money owed to him by a certain Apollonia and by the man (her legal guardian?) who had undertaken to produce her in court

DDbDP-text Full record →

p.mich.1.71

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · 246 - 222 v.Chr. · Arsinoites

βασιλεῖ Πτολεμαίωι χαίρειν Ἄτταλος. ἀδικοῦμαι ὑπὸ Πτολεμαίου μείους τοῦ Πτολεμαίου πράκτορος ἰδιωτικῶν. γράψαντος γὰρ Σηράμβου τοῦ παρὰ Ἀριστομάχου καθεσταμένου στρατηγοῦ πρόσταγμα Πτολεμαίωι, ἐπειδὴ Ἀπολλώνιος οὐδʼ ἔτι καὶ νῦν καθέστηκεν Ἀπολλωνίαν, ἐὰν μὴ ἔτι καὶ νῦν καταστήσηι…