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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 20084

Sale of a Pontic slave boy named Karos TM 20084Herakleopolis14. Febr. 250

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 →

A contract for the sale of a 13-year-old slave boy named Karos, from Pontus, bought by Aurelius Herakleios also called Nemesianos from Marcus Aurelius Nemesianos, with a co-guarantor. The seller had originally acquired the boy at Lyrbe in Asia Minor. Written at Herakleopolis in AD 250.

In English machine translation

In the first year of Imperator Caesar Gaius Messius Traianus Decius Pius Felix Augustus, in the month Xanthikos, Mecheir 20, at Herakleopolis above Memphis. Aurelius Herakleios also called Nemesianos, son of Horigenes, his mother being Tiaesis, from Herakleopolis the ancient and god-beloved, about 45 years old, with a scar on the forehead, has bought from Marcus Aurelius Nemesianos, about 48 years old, with a scar on the forehead, with as co-guarantor Marcus Aurelius Herakleios, his mother being Heronis, from the same Herakleopolis, about 34 years old, with a scar on the right forearm, a slave, whom he himself had bought in the most splendid city of Lyrbe, in the term of the demiurge, priest of the goddess Roma and gymnasiarch Kallistos son of […]tillius Kallistos, named Karos, of Pontic origin, about 13 years old, whom Aurelius Herakleios also called Nemesianos has also received there, such as he is, not returnable, free of epaphe and of the sacred disease, for a price […] […] price […] […] drachmas of silver coin […] […] Marcus Aurelius Loukianos […] of Aurelius Herakleios also called Nemesianos […] […] Marcus Aurelius Loukianos […] the slave Karos free from other sales or other transactions. The same Marcus Aurelius Loukianos, being present, guarantees, and the co-guarantor […] [… 2 lines lost …]

'Epaphe' (literally 'touch') is a technical term in slave sales, probably for a legal claim or a latent defect; the 'sacred disease' is epilepsy. The guarantor later appears as Marcus Aurelius Loukianos, inconsistent with the names given earlier, perhaps due to a lacuna.

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

DDbDP-text Full record →

bgu.3.937

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · 14. Febr. 250 · Herakleopolis

ἔτους πρώτου Αὐτοκράτορος Καίσαρος Γαίου Μεσσίου Τραιανοῦ Δεκείου Εὐσεβοῦς Εὐτυχοῦς Σεβαστοῦ μηνὸς Ξαντικοῦ Μεχεὶρ εἰκάδι ἐν Ἡρακλέους πόλει τῇ ὑπὲρ Μέμφιν. ἐπρίατο Αὐρήλιος Ἡράκλειος ὁ καὶ Νεμεσιανὸς Ὠριγένους μητρὸς Τιαῆσις ἀφʼ Ἡρακλέους πόλεως ἀρχαίας καὶ θεοφίλου ὡς ἐτῶν τεσσ…