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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 34022

Guarantee and penalty clauses of a sale contract TM 34022Hermopolites (?)2. 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 →

The closing clauses of a sale contract, in which the seller guarantees the sale, promises not to challenge it, and accepts penalties of double the price plus an equal sum to the treasury if he does. It dates to the second half of the 4th century AD, probably from the Hermopolite nome.

In English machine translation

...the guarantee always following upon me, the seller, for every guarantee, and that neither I nor anyone else on my behalf will proceed against the buyer or against those deriving title from him concerning anything of this sale in any way whatsoever. If I do proceed or fail to guarantee, the claim shall be invalid and I, or whoever proceeds on my behalf, shall pay in addition to you, the buyer, or to those deriving title from you, the damages and expenses and, as a penalty, as a private debt, double the price, and the same amount to the public treasury, and the sale shall be no less valid. And concerning these things having been done thus rightly and properly, having been asked the formal question, I gave my assent. […] [… 4 lines lost …]

Only the end of the contract survives, so the parties and the object sold are unknown. The final phrase is the standard stipulation formula (answering a formal question) that made Roman-era contracts binding.

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

DDbDP-text Full record →

p.flor.1.29

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · 2. Hälfte IV · Hermopolites (?)

τῆς βεβαιώσεως διὰ παντὸς πρὸς πᾶσαν βεβαίωσιν ἐξακολουθούσης μοι τῷ πωλοῦντι καὶ μὴ ἐπελεύσεσθαί με μηδʼ ἄλλον ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν ὠνούμενον μηδὲ ἐπὶ τοὺς παρʼ αὐτοῦ περὶ μηδενὸς τῆσδε τῆς πράσεως τρόπῳ μηδενὶ. ἐὰν δὲ ἐπέλθω ἢ μὴ βεβαιῶ, ἥ τʼ ἔφοδος ἄκυρος ἔστω καὶ προσαποτίσω ἢ ὁ…