One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 32484

Fragments of an imperial ordinance on courts and abuses by officials TM 32484unbekannt1. Hälfte IV

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

Fragments of what appears to be an imperial or high official ordinance from the first half of the 4th century AD, found among the papyri from Nag Hammadi. It speaks of judgments, courts, thefts, the welfare of country people and provincials, and abuses by tax officials such as exactors and praepositi.

In English machine translation

[Fragment A] […] with stones (?) […] ordered […] […] having been […] […] […] to remain having […] […] by our judgment and […] […] is […] public […] the […] […] might be able to […] and said […] […] the benefit of the country people, should arm themselves […] […] nothing idle, nothing […] […] of the common judgment should appear […] […] more […] […] […] all being […], but he beyond […] […] at the same time unmixed and active the […] […] of them still and to cast off […] […] having recognized (?) […] […] courts being […], but in […] […] of madness devoted himself to thefts […] […] it appeared fitting to perceive […] […] whenever especially the […] of injustice […] […] as many things as in the public […] carried […] […] of the family, and you will keep away from the courts […] […] for that henceforth your customary […] […] depends […] now very just […] […] by payments (?) the excessive […] in the past time […] […] to us the provincials, by men who have dared […] […] not openly, always being divided in a rush […] […] […] [Fragment B] […] […] [Fragment C] […] […] […] [Fragment D] […] [Fragment E] […] [Fragment F] […] […] […] before […] having seen […] of those bound […] […] turning […] […] in another way […] plundering (?) […] […] […] [Fragment G] […] […] eye […] […] useful […] since the […] […] [Fragment H] […] […] […] in the chief […] […] would not, neither […] […] and advantageous […] […] remedies for […] […] and of exactors […] […] worth is accursed (?) […] […] to undergo […] […] of the most lawless […] […] you, not ceasing […] […] having […] […] of these […] […] happening to obtain […] […] of the laws and […] […] of the most outrageous […] […] exactor or praepositus […] […] by our decision […] […] offence […] […] to those with the governors […]

The identification as imperial ordinances is tentative. The exactor was a late Roman tax-collecting official and the praepositus (pagi) a district administrator.</br>

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

p.nag.hamm.144

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · 1. Hälfte IV

[FrA] […]…ν λίθοις κεκελευ[…] […]…εθέντος τ…[…] […]φου μένειν ἐχο[…] […]……[…]μεν ἡμετέρᾳ κρίσει κα[…] […]τος εστ…[…]δημοσίῳ …ραφ…ς τὴν τε[…] […]…ατοσ…[…]θαι δύνοιτο καὶ ειπε[…] […]… ἀγροίκων ὀφέλειαν επις ὁπλίζοιντο […] […] μηδὲν ἀργὸν μηδεονενα[…] […] κοινῆς κρίσεως φανείη πε…[……