Account
Account of large arrears in corn received by a boatman during a period of five years. An equation of wheat to money at the rate of 12 artabae to a solidus on the private standard occurs.
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 37912
Account of wheat arrears received by the sailor Menas TM 37912OxyrhynchusLate 6th century
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 3 records across 3 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
An account from Oxyrhynchus of large arrears of wheat handled by the sailor (boatman) Menas over several indiction years, recording amounts sold, amounts credited to him for losses, and the balances outstanding. Part of the balance is converted into gold solidi at 12 artabas to the solidus on the private standard.
In English machine translation
† Menas the sailor received, from the 5th to the 8th indiction of the same, on account of the arrears of the 4th indiction, 121,614 artabas of wheat,
of which there were sold 115,976 artabas of wheat, 8 choinikes,
and there were credited to Menas the sailor for loss 4,732 artabas of wheat,
total 120,708 artabas of wheat, 8 choinikes; remainder 906 (?) artabas of wheat,
at 12 artabas to the solidus on the private standard, 108 1/2 1/3 solidi.
And on account of the 9th indiction 33,372 1/2 artabas of wheat, 8 choinikes,
of which there were sold, to make up the 136,934 1/4 artabas, 8 choinikes,
21,358 artabas of wheat, and there were credited to the sailor for loss
2,366 artabas of wheat; total of wheat by the kankellon measure
23,724 artabas; remainder 9,648 artabas.
One description dates the text to the late 6th century, while the other records give AD 531. The kankellon was a standard measure, and the figures as written do not all reconcile arithmetically (the money conversion does not match the stated remainder).
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Account of arrears of corn). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
p.oxy.16.2023
† ὑπεδέξατο Μηνᾶς ὁ ναύτης ἀπὸ ε μέχρι η ἰνδικτίονος αὐτῆς ὑπὲρ λοιπογραφουμένων δ ἰνδικτίονος σίτου ἀρτάβας ιβ Αχιδ ἐξὧν ἐπράθησαν σίτου ἀρτάβας ια Εφοϛ χοίνικες η καὶ ἐλογίσθησαν Μηνᾷ ναύτῃ ὑπὲρ ζημίας σίτου ἀρτάβας Δψλβ, ὁμοῦ σίτου ἀρτάβαι ιβ τη χοίνικες η, λοιπαὶ σίτου ἀρτάβα…