Imperial rescript on cession of property and declaration of cession to a nominator TM 21815Sinkepha (Oxyrhynchites)236 - 237

A copy of an imperial rescript of Severus (posted at Alexandria) ruling that a person who cedes his property to avoid a liturgy cedes it to the nominee who takes over the liturgy, not to the treasury, without loss of status. It is followed by a declaration to the Oxyrhynchite strategus Aurelius Leonides by Aemilius Stephanos of Sinkepha, who, nominated as collector of village money taxes, invokes the rescript to cede his property to his nominator Aurelius Amois.

In English machine translation

Cession of property (cessio bonorum, Greek parachoresis) was a legal way to escape a compulsory public service by surrendering one's estate to the person who had nominated you. The rescript's year 8 refers to an earlier reign (Septimius Severus), while the declaration is dated year 3 of Maximinus.

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