Petition to King Ptolemy from Marres son of Petosiris complaining that his co-owners Herakon and Hippon evade a lawsuit over dividing a vineyard he bought from the crown, let their sheep damage the vines, and that Peitholaos expelled his workers. He asks that they be forced to divide the vineyard and jointly planted land and pay 500 drachmas damages; the strategos orders conciliation or referral to the mixed court, at Magdola in 221 BC.
In English machine translation
[recto]
To King Ptolemy, greetings from Marres son of Petosiris. I am wronged by Herakon and Hippon
and Peitholaos. For I have a lawsuit before Diophanes the strategos against Herakon
and Hippon concerning the division of a vineyard which I bought from the crown, and this was postponed because Herakon and Hippon, having asked for twenty days, evaded the trial and did not meet me, and after some time Diophanes sailed down to Alexandria, for which reason the matter has not reached a conclusion even until now. And while Panethes, my […], was in the vineyard working with other workers, Peitholaos came upon them in year 2, on the 4th of the month Tybi, and threw out
him and the workers with him, as he reported to me when he came; and Hippon and Herakon, letting their sheep loose into the vineyard, have deliberately destroyed some of the vines, wishing to harm me. Concerning these things I brought the komarch and the phylakitai and some others and showed them, and they also
testified that they had driven me out of the vineyard, […] because I did not consent to pay them.
I therefore beg you, O King, to order Diophanes the strategos to write to Pythiades the epistates to send
the aforementioned persons to him, so that Herakon and Hippon may be compelled to divide the vineyard with me
according to the petition which I submitted against them concerning the division, in year 24, Gorpiaios 22,
Choiak 22, and at the same time to compel them to divide jointly with me the land which we also planted in common,
of which I have been assessed the installments of the price in gold at […] drachmas; and to exact from them for me for the deliberate damage
500 drachmas; and concerning Peitholaos let Diophanes decide as seems best to him. For if this is done, through you,
O King, I shall obtain justice. Farewell.
(Subscription) To Pythiades. Preferably reconcile them; if not, send them so that they may be judged before the koinodikion. Year 1, Gorpiaios 28, Tybi 12.
[verso]
Year 1, Gorpiaios 28, Tybi 12.
Marres against Herakon and
Hippon and Peitholaos
concerning the division of a vineyard.
The koinodikion was a mixed court handling disputes between Greeks and Egyptians. Dates are given in both Macedonian and Egyptian calendars.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Partage d’un vignoble). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.