One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 3324
Petition of Sopolis about a fictitious loan contract signed by his underage son TM 3324Magdola (Arsinoites)27. Febr. 221 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 →
Petition to King Ptolemy IV from Sopolis, complaining that a hired woman named Demo of Krokodilopolis tricked his underage son into signing a loan contract for 1,000 drachmas though no money was paid. He asks the king to order the strategos Diophanes to investigate and force her to return the contract. It was filed at Magdola in the Arsinoite nome in 221 BC.
In English machine translation
[recto]
To King Ptolemy, greetings from Sopolis. I am wronged by a certain Demo, one of the women living in Krokodilopolis of the Arsinoite nome, who also works for hire. For, having brought forward certain persons by deceit, she persuaded my son Sopolis, who is not yet of age, to draw up a contract of loan with her for 1,000 drachmas. I therefore beg you, O King, if it please you, to instruct Diophanes the strategos to summon both Demo and the man registered as her guardian and the keeper of the contract, and to examine the matter with severity toward wrongdoing, and, if it appears that no payment of the money was made in any way, but the contract was written for an unjust purpose, to compel her to return the contract to us, and that Diophanes the strategos decide concerning her. For if this is done, O King, I shall not be wronged, having rendered services blamelessly both to you and to your father.
Farewell.
Demetrios son of Nikagoras was sent along with it. Year 1, Gorpiaios 30, Tybi 13.
[verso]
Year 1, Gorpiaios 30, Tybi 13.
Sopolis against Demo concerning
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The phrase rendered 'works for hire' may imply a woman of low or disreputable occupation. The date is double, in Macedonian (Gorpiaios) and Egyptian (Tybi) months, in year 1 of Ptolemy IV.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Reconnaissance d’une dette fictive). 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.enteux.49
[r] βασιλεῖ Πτολεμαίωι χαίρειν Σώπολις. ἀδικοῦμαι ὑπὸ Δημοῦς τινος, τῶν κατοικουσῶν ἐν Κροκοδίλων πόλει τοῦ Ἀρσινοίτου νομοῦ, ἣ καὶ μισθαρνεῖ. παραστησαμένη γάρ τινας ἐξ ἀπάτης, ἀνέπεισεν τὸν υἱόν μου Σώπολιν, οὐδέπω ὄντα τῶν ἐτῶν, συγγράψασθαι αὐτῆι δανείου δραχμῶν Α. δέομαι οὖν…