A loan contract in which Aurelius Theon, a pastry-cook (?) of Oxyrhynchus, acknowledges borrowing 2 gold solidi from the tribune Flavius Apphous, to be repaid with interest in two instalments. It was written at Oxyrhynchus on Choiak 2 of the 4th indiction (29 November 495), with a lector writing for the illiterate borrower.
In English machine translation
[recto]
In the year after the consulship of Flavius Eusebius, vir clarissimus, for the 2nd time, Choiak 2, indiction 4, at Oxyrhynchus.
To Flavius Apphous, vir clarissimus, tribune, son of Eulogios of most excellent memory, from the illustrious and most illustrious city of the Oxyrhynchites, Aurelius Theon son of Ioannes, his mother being Herakleia, pastry-cook (?), from the same city, greetings. I acknowledge by this my written security that I have received from you as a loan, from hand to hand out of your house, for my own pressing need, 2 single imperial solidi of gold of good quality, in number two, total 2 gold solidi, on condition that I supply and pay to your nobility as interest on them, until the term stated below, the lawful interest of one per cent per month on them without fail; which interest and the principal itself I shall of necessity repay to your excellency: one gold coin in the month of Tybi of the current year 172/141 of the present fourth indiction, with the interest, and the other in the month of Hathyr of the coming year 173/142 of the fifth indiction, God willing, with the interest, without delay and without any dispute, lawsuit or trial; and it shall not be permitted, when each term arrives, to defer repayment or to ask for another extension, nor to claim to have paid anything of this debt without written receipts and a joint receipt, or before the return of this my bond; but you shall have the right of execution against me and against all my property. This bond, written in a single copy, is valid, and in answer to the formal question I gave my assent.
I, Aurelius Theon son of Ioannes, pastry-cook (?), the aforesaid, have received the 2 gold solidi of principal and shall repay them at the terms with the interest, and everything written herein is agreeable to me as stated above, and in answer to the formal question I gave my assent and released the document. I, Apphouas, lector, son of Philoxenos, having been asked, wrote on his behalf because he does not know letters.
☧ Through me, Thot, written, Choiak 2, indiction 4 […]
[verso]
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The double year numbers (172/141, 173/142) are the Oxyrhynchite eras used in dating; the lawful 'hundredth' interest is 1% per month (12% a year). The notary's subscription is in Latin letters.
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.