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Cession of catoecic land to Spartakos son of Ptolemaios TM 5256Oxyrhynchos44 - 30 v.Chr.

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 →

A contract from Oxyrhynchus, written under Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy Caesar, in which a catoecic cavalryman cedes to Spartakos son of Ptolemaios, a Macedonian, a plot of catoecic land, with guarantees that the cession will stand for all time. The transfer follows procedures recorded with Alexander, an official of the rank of First Friend in charge of military enrolments.

In English machine translation

[In the reign of Cleopatra, goddess] Philopator, and Ptolemy also called [Caesar, god Philopator Philometor, year] […], [and the other] [matters of the public formulae as are written in Alexandria], in the month of Dystros, which is also Tybi 7, at [Oxyrhynchus in the Thebaid. … acknowledges] […] […] [of the] catoecic cavalrymen, to Spartakos son of Ptolemaios, Ma[cedonian] […] […] that he has ceded to him, in accordance with the arrangements [made through the officials of the cavalry, from the] […] [memorandum which he submitted] to Alexander, one of the First Friends and in charge of [the enrolments, the … belonging to him near] […] [of the] [toparchy, from the] […] [allotment], of sown catoecic land, measured as a rectangle, [arouras] […], [of which] [the measurements are: from east to] west 2 1/2 schoinia, and from south [to north … schoinia], [neighbours] […] […], and the […] recorded in addition to these […], [so that the aforesaid allotments may belong to Spartakos and his descendants and] [to those who will succeed him], in addition to the allotments he already holds, [and with the other privileges and benefits, validly for all time, in accordance with] the regulations ordered [and instructed] concerning these matters, [in return for which he has received from Spartakos] […] royal […], and the matters concerning livelihood in [the] […] [times], [and that he will not violate the agreement nor act fraudulently nor bring any claim concerning] the aforesaid on any pretext whatever, [but will in every way furnish them to Spartakos] [guaranteed at all times], free from royal [charges] and […] […] of him belonging […] this […] […]

Catoecic land was held by military settlers; formally it could not be sold, so it changed hands by 'cession' (parachoresis) registered with the military authorities. Much of the text is restored from parallel documents.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Cession of Catoecic Land). 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.oxy.14.1635

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text

βασιλευόντων Κλεοπάτρας θεᾶς Φιλοπάτορος καὶ Πτολεμαίου τοῦ καὶ Καίσαρος θεοῦ Φιλοπάτορος Φιλομήτορος ἔτους[…], τὰ δʼ ἄλλα τῶν κοινῶν ὡς ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείαι γράφεται, μηνὸς Δύστρου καὶ Τῦβι ζ ἐν Ὀξυρύγχων πόλει τῆς Θηβαΐδος ὁμολογεῖ[…] […]τῶν κατοίκων ἱππέων Σπαρτάκωι Πτολεμαίου Μακε…