Petition of an oil retailer about illicit oil sales by prisoners of war TM 2486Oxyrhyncha (Arsinoites, Ägypten)Between 250 and 150 B.C.

[recto] To Apollonios, oikonomos, from Petoys son of Marreis, oil retailer of Oxyrhyncha. On the 28th of Tybi of year 10, during the […] of the night, Athenodoros son of […], Philon son of Alexandros and Theodotos son of Sopatros, the 3 prisoners of war, having taken along […] in the villages of Oxyrhyncha all the prisoners of war, gathered together up to 30 persons, into the village, and coming into the marketplace with […] oil […] and safflower oil […] at 3 choes, and castor oil […] 2 at 2 choes, they were selling to those in the village […] and […] small kotylai and […] […] to you about these matters they sent along […] of these places well […] we came upon the […] castor oil, but of us […] to the guard […] […] [… lines lost …] […] brought the 3 prisoners of war before you, the oil having already been taken away. You will therefore do well to write to Metrodoros the oikonomos, so that it may become clear to him that the prisoners of war are buying the oil and the castor oil from those who have plundered and processed the oil cargoes, and these men sell, practising the trade under the [pretext?] of Greek oil. If therefore no attention is paid to these matters and such people are caught practising this trade, it will come about that the oil cargoes for year 10 too will be plundered. […] Farewell. [verso] To Metrodoros. Of the memorandum given to me by Petoys son of Manres, oil retailer, I have appended the copies for you. Year 10, Tybi 28.