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Petition of mercenary cavalrymen at Diospolis Parva about unequal allowances TM 266Diospolis ParvaEnde 169 - Anfang 168 v.Chr.

The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 3 records across 2 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →

A petition to Hieronymos, a high-ranking courtier and strategos, from mercenary cavalrymen of the field army at Ptolemais now stationed at Diospolis Parva. They cite their services and dangers in the war and complain that they receive less pay and horse-fodder allowance than comparable cavalry and infantry elsewhere, asking for equal treatment. It dates to late 169 or early 168 BC, during the Sixth Syrian War.

In English machine translation

To Hieronymos, archisomatophylax and strategos, from those now serving as reserves (?) in Diospolis Parva, from the men of the field army at Ptolemais. Since we have already often rendered many services as mercenary cavalrymen during the war and have endured great dangers […] at the most critical times […] and have eagerly given ourselves to every order […], it is proper that we receive as much as is given also to those from the same field army as ourselves, since we receive the grain allowance […] as […], but in the matter of the pay allowances and the […] of the year for the fodder of the horses […] we are disadvantaged not only in comparison with the other cavalrymen in the field army at Ptolemais, but also with those stationed at Chenoboskia in the same nome, and likewise in comparison with the […] infantry and the mercenary cavalrymen stationed in the other places from the same field army as ourselves. For while the others receive their pay allowances monthly, we […] the one who served as secretary not having posted (?) […] exacting from us (?) contrary to all that is just […] we have taken refuge with you […] […]

Archisomatophylax ('chief bodyguard') is an honorific court rank, not an actual bodyguard post. The 'war' is presumably the Sixth Syrian War against Antiochos IV; the end of the petition is lost.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below. It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.

DDbDP-text Full record →

chrest.wilck.447

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · Ende 169 - Anfang 168 v.Chr. · Diospolis Parva

Ἱερωνύμωι τῶι ἀρχισωματοφύλακι καὶ στρατηγῶι παρὰ τῶν νυνὶ παρεφεδρευόντων ἐν Διὸς πόλει τῆι μικρᾶι ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν τῶι ἐν Πτολεμαίδι ὑπαίθρωι. πολλὰς χρείας μισθοφόρων ἱππέων παρεσχημένων ἡμῶν ἤδη πολλάκις κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον καὶ κινδύνους μεγάλους[…]ἐνηνοχότων ἐν τοῖς μάλιστʼ ἀναγκαιοτ…