Undertaking by a chief guard of Adaiou to Flavius Apion against theft TM 20778OxyrhynchusA.D. 612

[recto] † In the name of the Lord and Master Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour, in the reign of our most divine and most pious master, the greatest benefactor, Flavius Heraclius, the eternal Augustus and Imperator, year 3, Phaophi 29, indiction 1. To Flavius Apion, the most renowned and most magnificent former consul and patrician, landowner also here in the splendid city of the Oxyrhynchites, through Menas, servant, who makes the stipulation and acquires for his own master, the same most renowned man, the right of action and liability, Aurelius Menas, chief guard, son of Hor, his mother being Herais, from the village of Adaiou in the Oxyrhynchite nome, which is under the pagarchy of your magnificence. I acknowledge to your magnificence, through those who belong to you, that if at any occasion or time we are shown to have stolen machine equipment or oxen, or to have committed any theft whatsoever, or to have harboured robbers, I shall pay to your magnificence for each offence 24 gold solidi, to be exacted in fact and in force at my risk and that of my property. The acknowledgement, written in a single copy, is valid, and having been asked the formal question I gave my assent. † I, Menas son of Hor: this acknowledgement is satisfactory to me as stated above. I, Ioannes, wrote on his behalf since he is illiterate. † Executed through me, Ioannes. [verso] † Acknowledgement of Menas, chief guard, son of Hor, from the village of Adaiou in the Oxyrhynchite nome. †