A lease in which Aurelius Apollos son of Iakob of the village of Mermertha takes on from the noblewoman Flavia Isis, heir of Strategios, a fully equipped water-wheel with 19 1/2 arouras of land, paying rent in wheat and vegetable seed. It was drawn up at Oxyrhynchus on 14 December 469.
In English machine translation
[recto]
In the consulship of Flavii Zeno and Marcianus, the most illustrious, Choiak 18, 8th indiction.
To Flavia Isis, the most illustrious, daughter and heir of Strategios of glorious memory, landowner here in the splendid and most splendid city of the Oxyrhynchites, through Areobindos, slave, who also makes the stipulation and secures for his own mistress the action and obligation arising from the stipulation, from Aurelius Apollos son of Iakob, from the village of Mermertha of the same nome. I willingly undertake to lease from the present year 146-115, for the sowing of the ninth indiction, from the properties belonging to your illustriousness, which also came to her by right of inheritance from your father of magnificent memory, in the fields of our village, a complete water-wheel equipped with all its fittings and ironwork, and the 19 1/2 arouras attached to it, lying in various locations as follows: of the land of Menthy 9 arouras, and from the holding of Abraamios […] in the same land 6 1/2 arouras, and from the holding […] 2 arouras, and on both sides of the road, north […], total 19 1/2 arouras, for sowing with whatever crops I choose; and I will pay as rent […] of wheat 75 artabas and […] of vegetable seed 3 1/4 artabas […] of wheat 5 1/2 artabas and […] 3 1/4 artabas, 2 choinikes […], all free from every risk, the public dues on the land being the responsibility of your illustriousness, the raising of the dykes (?) being the responsibility of me, the lessee. The lease, written in duplicate, is valid, and having been asked the formal question I gave my assent.
I, Aurelius Apollos, have made the lease and will pay the rent, and everything is agreeable to me as set out above. I, Aurelius […], son of […]eon, wrote at his request […]
[…] I witness this lease […]
[…] I witness this lease […]
Through me, Phoibammon […]
[… lines lost …]
[verso]
† Lease of Apollos from the village of Mermertha.
The years 146-115 are the Oxyrhynchite era dates used in this period. The 'mechane' is an irrigation machine (water-wheel, saqiya) leased together with the land it watered.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Lease of Land). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.