A four-year lease in which the illiterate farmer Aurelius Phoibammon of the hamlet Syntapouo rents from Flavius Ioannes of Hermopolis a half share of uncultivated land near the village of Ptemmenkyrkis, with a half share of a cistern and two water-wheels. The crop is to be split in half if the land can be sown; otherwise the farmer pays rent for the water-wheels. It was drawn up at Hermopolis on 4 September 513.
In English machine translation
[recto]
In the consulship of Flavii Clementinus and Probus, the most glorious, Thoth 7 of the seventh indiction.
To Flavius Ioannes, the most esteemed, son of Taurinus of pious memory, from the city of the Hermopolites, from Aurelius Phoibammon son of Paesios, his mother being Troile, from the hamlet of Syntapouo in the tax district of the village of Ptemmenkyrkis in the Hermopolite nome.
I acknowledge that I have willingly and of my own choice leased from your esteemedness, for a period of four years reckoned from the crops of the coming eighth indiction, God willing, inclusive, the half share belonging to you of the dry (uncultivated) arouras, however many they are, together with a half share of the cistern and all its rights and of the large and the small water-wheel, situated in the plain of the same village of Ptemmenkyrkis, for sowing and harvesting whatever crops I choose, on condition that your admirableness, if I should be able to sow the same dry land, shall receive a half share of all the crop that will be produced on it, according to the agreements made between me and her, and shall claim from me rent for the same half share of the water-wheels, and that I shall have the other half share in return for the labours I perform; but if I should not be able to sow the dry land, I shall provide you with the rent of the same half share of the two water-wheels each year, in the same way as all the farmers there.
The lease is valid and binding, and having been asked the formal question I agreed.
I, Aurelius Phoibammon son of Paesios, the aforementioned farmer, have leased as stated above. I, Aurelius Victor son of Basileides, from […], having been asked, wrote on his behalf since he does not know letters.
I, […], from Hermopolis, witness the lease, having heard it from the party who made it. I, Aurelius Theon son of Dioskoros, from Hermopolis, witness the lease, having heard it from the party who made it. I, Aurelius Serenus son of Kyros, from Hermopolis, witness the lease, having heard it from the party who made it.
Executed through me, Hermogenes […].
[verso]
Aurelius Phoibammon […]
The Greek 'chersos' means land that is dry or uncultivated, needing irrigation before sowing. The text occasionally refers to the lessor in the feminine, apparently following the honorific abstract 'your admirableness'.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Contrat byzantin d’Hermoupolis). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.