Receipt issued by Aurelius Pamouthios, a steward and registered farmer of the hamlet of Little Tholthis, to the great landowner Flavius Apion, acknowledging delivery of new wooden parts for the estate water-wheel called 'By the River'. Written at Oxyrhynchus on 9 October 543, with the contract drawn up by the subdeacon Iustus.
In English machine translation
[recto]
† In the year after the consulship of Flavius Basilius, vir clarissimus, Phaophi 11, indiction 7.
To Flavius Apion, the most magnificent consul ordinarius, 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 obligation, Aurelius Pamouthios, steward (phrontistes), son of Andreas, mother Sophia, originating from the hamlet of Little Tholthis, an estate of your magnificence in the Oxyrhynchite nome, registered farmer, greetings.
Since there has now again been need, for the estate water-wheel under my charge called 'By the River', which irrigates arable land, of one sinorganon and one hilasterion and one curved wheel (kyklas), I came up to the city and asked your magnificence to order that these same machine parts be supplied to me. And at once your glorious house, taking care for the maintenance of its own affairs, had them brought down to me in the fields from its acacia groves which are on my same estate, new, suitable for irrigation, satisfactory, and I received them for the completion of all the machine equipment on this present day, which is Phaophi the eleventh of the current year 220/189, of the present seventh indiction, for the irrigation of the crops of the eighth indiction, God willing. And as proof of receipt I have made this handwritten document, which is valid, written in a single copy, and having been asked the formal question I gave my assent.
† I, Aurelius Pamouthios son of Andreas, the aforesaid, have made this handwritten document, having received the machine parts, one sinorganon and one hilasterion and one curved wheel, in the manner set out above, and everything is agreeable to me as stated above. I, Theodoros son of the late Phib, having been asked, wrote on his behalf since he is illiterate.
☧ Executed through me, Iustus, subdeacon. †
[verso]
† Handwritten document of Pamouthios son of Andreas from the hamlet of Little Tholthis, of receipt of 1 sinorganon and 1 hilasterion and 1 curved wheel.
Sinorganon and hilasterion are technical names of water-wheel (saqiya) components whose exact function is uncertain. The year '220/189' is the double era dating of Oxyrhynchus; the notary's subscription is Greek written 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 Receipt for Machinery). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.