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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 36856

Surety for Georgios remaining on an estate to work TM 36856Aphrodites Kome (Antaiopolites)VI

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 →

Fragment of a surety bond in which Aurelius Phoibammon guarantees that a man named Georgios will remain on an estate and do manual labour, promising a penalty of one ounce of gold and to hand him over if he fails. It is signed for the illiterate guarantor, witnessed by two men and drawn up by the notary Kyros at Aphrodito in the 6th century AD.

In English machine translation

[… lines lost …] […] […] […] of (?) assistance or from the most admirable man […] of him, and if he should not be found remaining on the same estate to perform manual labour out of any contempt whatsoever, I am ready to pay you as penalty for breach one ounce of gold, and I will hand over to you the same aforesaid Georgios in a public place suitable for enforcement, free of any military, clerical or monastic status, or may I be liable to the divine oath and the danger attached to it; and having been asked the formal question, I agreed. † I, Aurelius Phoibammon son of Psenthaesis, the aforesaid, stand surety for the aforesaid Georgios and swore the divine oath as stated above. I, Aurelius Ioannes son of Hermothis, having been asked, wrote on his behalf because he does not know letters. I, Aurelius Menas son of Iosephios, witness the surety, having heard it from the party who made it. I, Aurelius Bottos son of Promaos, witness the surety, having heard it from the party who made it. † Written through me, Kyros, lawyer.

Such bonds typically guaranteed that a dependent farm worker (often an enapographos georgos) would stay on a landowner's estate. The clause about military, clerical or monastic status prevents the worker escaping obligations by taking up those roles.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Frammento di malleveria). 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.3.288

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · VI · Aphrodites Kome (Antaiopolites)

[… ? lines lost …] […]νει[…]…[…] […]συντρεχείας ἢ παρὰ τοῦ θαυμασιωτάτου ἀνδρὸς […]ου αὐτοῦ μὴ εὑρεθείη τε ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ κτήματι καταμένων τὴν διὰ χειρῶν ἐργασίαν ἐκτελέσαι ἐξοἱασδήποτε καταφρονήσεως, ἑτοίμως ἔχω παρασχεῖν σοι λόγῳ παραβάσεως χρυσοῦ οὐγκίαν μίαν καὶ παραδώσω ὑμῖν τὸ…