A petition to King Ptolemy from a woman named Tetosiris, who is in a lawsuit with Apollodoros over a house in Berenikis Thesmophorou. She complains that Apollodoros threatened her witnesses with death and expulsion, so they withdrew, and asks that the strategos Diophanes arrange for the builders of the house to be sent to testify under oath. It was filed at Magdola in the Arsinoite nome in 221 BC.
In English machine translation
[recto]
To King Ptolemy, greetings from Tetosiris. I have a lawsuit […] before […] against Apollodoros concerning a house located in Berenikis Thesmophorou. Needing testimonies for the lawsuit, I received from the introducer (eisagogeus) […] a letter to Herakleodoros the epistates, that whatever witnesses I bring before him should have their testimonies sworn for me. Apollodoros, having formed a conspiracy and outdoing himself, scared off all my witnesses, saying that he would cudgel them to death, and me too, and throw us out of the village. Moreover, he also heaped much abuse on a certain Biou[…], a holder of 100 arouras, who was about to testify for me, and said he would cudgel him to death too, for which reason he did not testify for me. And because those who were about to testify for me are Egyptians, they took fright and withdrew so as not to testify. I therefore ask you, O King, begging you, so that I may not for this reason be deprived of my rights and lose […], to order Diophanes the strategos to write to Herakleodoros that whatever […] to him […] the brick-carriers and carpenters who built this house […] to send them to Diophanes so that they may be sworn […], so that, when this is done, having taken refuge with you, O King, the common benefactor of all, I may obtain your kindness.
Farewell.
Eu[…] through […]
[…] child (?) […]
[verso]
Year 1, Gorpiaios […], Tybi 1 […]
Tetosiris […]
[…]
The verb rendered 'cudgel to death' (apotympanizein) refers to a form of execution by beating or exposure on a board. The eisagogeus was the official who introduced cases to court.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Intimidation de témoins). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.