Petition of Sousneus concerning a disputed inheritance with his brother David TM 37142Oxyrhynchus6th or 7th century AD

† To my good master after God, a request and supplication † from me, Sousneus, your wretched servant, from Patani. I inform my good master of my affair, which is as follows. While my father was alive he called me and my brothers, saying: "Let one of you take possession of the property of your mother Io[…]raphe, and the others are to be maintained from my property." And David, my younger brother, took it up, and he (my father) gave him the estate of my mother. And when my father was about to die he ordered that half an aroura from his own property be given to this David, saying that the half aroura was enough for him because he also had the estate of his mother. And behold, it is three years today since he died, and as soon as he died I went to Abraamios, the headman of Klaudianos, and he brought forward the witnesses who had been present with my father, that is, Ioulios the priest and Apollon, and he had it carried out according to my father's words. And every year I sow my property, and David my brother sows my mother's property and his half aroura. And now Abraamios, having been bribed (?) by this same David, has had me put under guard, saying that unless my brother receives the mother's property except for one (?) and the half aroura which my father gave him, then whatever my father left to me is to be divided again between me and him. My father also gave my mother 110 solidi so that she should divide them among me and my brothers, and she gave these to Elisabeth, my elder sister. And I beseech my good master to arrange that, in accordance with what my father said, my rights be preserved for me. †