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Manumission of the slave Hilaria by Aurelius Valerius TM 20309Kellis (Oasis Magna)355

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 →

Copy of a deed by which Aurelius Valerius, a former magistrate of Mothis, frees his female slave Hilaria together with her personal savings, citing his Christian devotion. The act was witnessed by the reverend father Psekes and is dated to AD 355 at Kellis in the Dakhleh Oasis.

In English machine translation

[recto] Copy of a manumission. Aurelius Valerius son of Sarapion, former magistrate of the city of the Mothites, to Hilaria, my own (slave), greetings. I acknowledge that, because of my exceeding Christian piety, I have set you free under Zeus, Earth and Sun, together with your peculium, and (because of) the goodwill you have shown towards me, so that from now on you have your freedom unchallenged by anyone who would lay claim against you in respect of this manumission, through our most reverend father Psekes […] […] […] to become […] […] of yourself […]. This manumission shall be valid and secure and lawful wherever it is produced, and having been asked the formal question I gave my assent. In the year after the consulship of Constantius Augustus for the 7th time and of Constantius the most illustrious Caesar for the 3rd time. I, Aurelius Valerius, former magistrate, the aforesaid, made the manumission as stated above, and having been asked the formal question I gave my assent. I, Aurelius Psekes, presbyter (?), the aforesaid, being present, bear witness. [verso] Copy of a manumission.

The document strikingly combines a Christian motive with the traditional pagan oath formula 'under Zeus, Earth and Sun'. The peculium was the property a slave was allowed to manage and keep; the abbreviation 'pr' after Psekes is probably for presbyter.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Manumission of a Female Slave). 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 →

p.kellis.1.48

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · 355 · Kellis (Oasis Magna)

[r] ἀντίγραφον ἀπελευθερώσεως. Αὐρήλιος Οὐαλέριος Σαραπίωνος ἄρξας τῆς Μωθιτῶν πόλεως Ἱλαρίᾳ ἰδίᾳ μου χαίρειν. ὁμολογῶ διʼ ὑπερβολὴν χριστιανότητος ἀπελευθερωκέναι σε ὑπὸ Δία Γῆν Ἥλιον μετὰ καὶ τοῦ πεκουλίου σου καὶ εὔνοιαν τὴν πρός με πρὸς τὸ ἐντεῦθέν σε ἔχειν τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἀνε…