Duplicate receipt
A duplicate receipt for four drachmae, paid in advance to a certain Horos for the excavation of fifty aoilia of earth, probably on the estate of Apollonios.
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 786
Duplicate receipt of Horos for an advance on earth-digging work TM 786Kharabet el Gerza (ancient Philadelphia)11th May, 256 B.C.
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 →
A receipt written out twice, in which the Egyptian workman Horos son of Haryotes acknowledges an advance of 4 drachmas from Zenon, agent of the finance minister Apollonios, for digging 50 aoilia of earth. The second copy names Pasis of Heliopolis as his guarantor; it was drawn up at Philadelphia in the Fayum in May 256 BC.
In English machine translation
In the reign of Ptolemy son of Ptolemy Soter, year 29, Dystros 18, and of the Egyptians Phamenoth 18. Horos son of Haryotes has received from Zenon, the agent of Apollonios, in Philadelphia in the Arsinoite nome, for 50 aoilia which he must complete, 4 drachmas.
In the reign of Ptolemy son of Ptolemy Soter, year 29, Dystros 18, and of the Egyptians Phamenoth 18. Horos son of Haryotes has received, through his guarantor Pasis of Heliopolis, from Zenon, the agent of Apollonios, in Philadelphia in the Arsinoite nome, for 50 aoilia which he must complete, 4 drachmas.
An aoilion (plural aoilia) is a unit of excavated earth used in Ptolemaic earthwork contracts; it has no exact English equivalent. The payment was an advance for work still to be done, likely on Apollonios' estate.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Duplicate receipt). 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.cair.zen.1.59137
βασιλεύοντος Πτολεμαίου τοῦ Πτολεμαίου Σωτῆρος ἔτους κθ, Δύστρου ιη, Αἰγυπτίων δὲ Φαμενὼθ ιη. ἔχει Ὧρος Ἁρυώτου παρὰ Ζήνωνος τοῦ παρʼ Ἀπολλωνίου ἐν Φιλαδελφείαι τῆι ἐν τῶι Ἀρσινοίτηι νομῶι εἰς ἀωίλια ν ἃ δεῖ αὐτὸν ἀπεργάσασθαι δραχμὰς δ. βασιλεύοντος Πτολεμαίου τοῦ Πτολεμαίου Σωτ…