End of a sharecropping lease of vineyard land from Hermopolis, in which Aurelius Serenos son of Sois agrees to cultivate the vines for half the produce, with the owner receiving the other half plus 70 knidia of wine and yearly vintage gifts such as a piglet, food, fish, oil, bread, wine and raisins. It is signed by a scribe for the illiterate lessee and by two witnesses.
In English machine translation
[recto]
[…] […]
[…] care and good cultivation and diligent attention, on condition that your piety receives half share of all the produce, and from the common jar of wine 70 knidia at your expense, and that I together with the water-supplier receive the other half share in return for the labours we perform. I shall dig the same plot a fourth time each year. And I shall give each year at the time of the vintage a piglet worth 6,000 talents of silver, and a platter full of various foods, that is worth 6,000 talents of silver, and 5 pounds of fish, and 1 sextarius of radish oil, and 50 pairs of soft loaves, and 1 double jar of old wine, and 1/12 artaba of raisins, without delay. The lease is valid and secure, and having been asked the formal question I gave my assent.
I, Aurelius Serenos son of Sois, the aforesaid, have taken the lease as stated above. I, Aurelius Taurinos son of Kyros, from Hermopolis, having been asked, wrote on his behalf since he does not know letters.
I, Phoibammon son of Stephanos, […] from Hermopolis, witness the lease, having heard it from the lessee.
I, Aurelius Phoibammon son of Isakios, from Hermopolis, witness the lease, having heard it from the lessor (?).
† Written by me, Phoibammon.
[verso]
[…] Phbu son of […]
The prices in thousands of talents reflect the heavy inflation of Late Antique currency. The witnesses say they heard the terms from the party who made the contract; the Greek term is ambiguous between lessee and lessor.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Pachtvertrag über Rebenland). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.