Trespassing of land
Hediste, a Macedonian, complains that Demetrios the doctor wants to build on a plot of land that belongs to her and asks that the strategos stop him immediately. The verso contains a summary of the petition.
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 3344
Petition of Hediste against the doctor Demetrios over a building plot TM 3344Magdola (Arsinoite Nome)Jan. 13, 218 BC
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 3 records across 3 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
Petition to King Ptolemy IV from Hediste, a Macedonian woman, complaining that Demetrios, a doctor from Karanis, is forcibly starting to build on a vacant plot she owns next to her houses. She asks that the strategos Diophanes have the matter investigated and building stopped; the strategos's instruction to the epistates Lysimachos and a docket on the back survive.
In English machine translation
[recto]
To King Ptolemy, greetings, from Hediste daughter of Nikanor, Macedonian. I am wronged by a certain Demetrios, a doctor, one of the inhabitants of Karanis. For, as I own a certain portion of a vacant plot to the north of the buildings that belong to me by purchase in the aforementioned village, the aforesaid man, coming onto the plot, is using force against me, bringing bricks and digging a foundation so as to build. I beg you therefore, O King, to order Diophanes the strategos to write to Lysimachos the epistates to send him to Diophanes so that, after he has examined the matter, he may not allow him to encroach on what does not belong to him, and until the case has been argued, not allow anyone to build. For if this is done, having taken refuge with you, O King, I shall obtain every assistance. Farewell.
To Lysimachos. Preferably reconcile them; if not, send them to us so that they may be judged before the competent court.
Year 4, Daisios 27, Hathyr 29.
[verso]
Year 4, Daisios 27, Hathyr 29.
Hediste daughter of Nikanor, Macedonian, against Demetrios concerning a plot.
The petition concerns Karanis, but it belongs to the Magdola archive of petitions, so one record gives Magdola as the place. The date pairs the Macedonian month Daisios with the Egyptian month Hathyr.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Empiétement sur un terrain). 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.69
[r] βασιλεῖ Πτολεμαίωι χαίρειν Ἡδίστη Νικάνορος, Μακέτα. ἀδικοῦμαι ὑπὸ Δημητρίου τινός, ἰατροῦ, τῶν ἐκ Καρανίδος. ὑπάρχοντος γάρ μοι μέρος τι ψιλοῦ τόπου ἀπὸ βορρᾶ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων μοι ᾠκοδομημένων κατʼ ὠνὴν ἐν τῆι προδεδηλωμένηι κώμηι, ὁ προγεγραμμένος, ἐπιπορευόμενος ἐπὶ τὸν τόπο…