A loan contract in which Aurelius Pekysis of Kellis acknowledges borrowing one gold solidus from Aurelius Antoninus, a fellow villager living in Aphrodite (Antaiopolite nome), promising 600 silver talents a month as interest until repayment. It is dated Pachon 1 in the year after the consulship of Eucherius and Syagrius (AD 382), and was written by Pebos son of Tithoes for the illiterate borrower.
In English machine translation
[recto]
Aurelius Pekysis son of Psais son of Pamour, his mother being Tapollos, from the village of Kellis in the territory of the city of the Mothites in the Great Oasis, to Aurelius Antoninus from the same village of the same nome, residing in the village of Aphrodite of the Antaiopolite nome, greetings. I acknowledge that I have received and borrowed from you for my own personal and pressing need one solidus of approved gold as principal, total 1 gold solidus, and I will provide you as interest on it each month 600 talents of silver, total 600 talents, the time being reckoned from the present month Pachon 1 of the current eleventh indiction until the repayment of the principal, without any dispute or delay, all my property of every kind being held as security by you until I pay you in full. I have issued this document to you, valid, for your security, with the subscription of the person who signs on my behalf, and having been asked the formal question I gave my assent.
After the consulship of Eucherius and Syagrius, viri clarissimi, Pachon 1.
I, Aurelius Pekysis son of Psais, the aforementioned, have received the one gold solidus as principal and I will repay it with the interest as stated above. I, Aurelius Pebos son of Tithoes, from the same village, residing in the village of Aphrodite, having been asked, wrote on his behalf since he does not know letters; I also wrote the body of the text.
[verso]
Note of hand of Pekysis son of Psais: 1 gold solidus.
Interest is paid in debased silver currency (talents) on a gold principal, reflecting the inflation of the 4th century. Although from Kellis, the contract was apparently drawn up in the Nile Valley, where both parties and the scribe were residing in Aphrodite.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Loan of Money). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.