An offer to lease land: Aurelius Akoueis, living in a hamlet near Senepta, offers to rent 1 1/2 arouras from the Oxyrhynchite councillor and exegetes Aurelius Ploteinos for one year to grow hay, for 1,000 silver drachmas payable in Pachon. Written at Oxyrhynchus on 31 October 296, with a scribe signing for the illiterate lessee.
In English machine translation
In the consulship of our lords Diocletian Augustus for the 6th time and Constantius the most noble Caesar for the 2nd time.
To Aurelius Ploteinos son of Eudaimon, exegetes, councillor of the illustrious and most illustrious city of the Oxyrhynchites,
from Aurelius Akoueis son of Apis, his mother being Tsenthonis, from the same city, residing in the hamlet of Pseneuar near Senepta. I voluntarily undertake to lease for the present 13th and 12th and 5th year only, from the land belonging to you near Senepta […] from […] arouras, 1 1/2 arouras, so as to sow it with hay, at a rent for the same 1 1/2 arouras of 1,000 drachmas of silver, total 1,000 drachmas, free of all risk, the public dues on the land being the responsibility of you the landowner, who are to have control of the crops until you receive the rent. If my undertaking is confirmed to me, I will of necessity pay the rent in the month of Pachon without delay, the right of execution lying against me as is proper. The undertaking is valid, and having been asked by you I have agreed.
Year 13 and 12 of our lords Diocletian and Maximian Augusti and year 5 of our lords Constantius and Maximian the most noble Caesars, Hathyr 4.
I, Aurelius Akoueis, have undertaken the lease of 1 1/2 arouras and will pay the rent as aforesaid, and having been asked I have agreed. I, Aurelius Silvanus also called Thonios, wrote on his behalf since he does not know letters.
"Xylamesai" (restored) refers to sowing the land with a hay crop, here meaning fodder. The regnal year is given in the tetrarchic triple form (13th, 12th and 5th year) of the Augusti and Caesars.
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.