A formal declaration by the lawyer Aurelius Ammon of Panopolis to Flavius Sisinnius, the katholikos (financial official) in Alexandria, concerning slaves left by his late brother Harpokration. Having come to Alexandria by the agreed deadline but been unable to find his opponent Eugeneios, Ammon has his presence officially recorded so that Eugeneios cannot later claim default. It is dated 9 December 348.
In English machine translation
To Flavius Sisinnius, the most eminent katholikos,
from Aurelius Ammon son of Petearbeschinis, scholastikos, from Panopolis in the Thebaid. Whereas Eugeneios, memorarius, and I, Ammon, through friends acting between us in the city of the Panopolites, namely Paniskos, former iuridicus, and Apollon the poet and another, Horion, jointly made a written agreement concerning slaves now in Alexandria, this splendid city, left behind by Harpokration my brother, and in this agreement, I know not why, I was induced to accept a time limit set in such terms that within twenty days from the twenty-seventh of Hathyr of the past month I should come to Alexandria, so that an end might be put to the matter; and having now come here two days ago I have not met with the aforesaid Eugeneios nor have I been able to find him; for this reason today, which is the thirteenth of Choiak, four days before the time limit, I publicly make declaration, securing myself, and asking that this my formal safeguard (diasphalismos) be deposited in the office until he comes, so that it may not be open to him to put forward any pretext; and I ask that these very things set forth by me be referred to your Magnificence, my lord, through the tabularius of the city on this present day {on this present day}.
In the consulship of Flavius Philippus, most illustrious prefect of the sacred praetorium, and Flavius Salia, most illustrious master of the cavalry, Choiak 13.
I, Aurelius Ammon, have set this forth as above.
A diasphalismos is a protective declaration lodged to preserve one's legal position; this is the first version of the document. The memorarius Eugeneios had claimed the slaves as ownerless property.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Der Diasphalismos an Flavius Sisinnius. Die erste Fassung vom 9. Dez. 348). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.