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Undertaking by a village headman to deliver grain for the embole TM 9893Bubastos (Arsinoites)

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 sworn undertaking by Aurelius Phoibammon, headman of the village of Boubastos in the Arsinoite nome, to the pagarch Flavius Ioannes, promising to deliver in full the grain due for the embole (the grain shipment to the capital) of the tenth indiction. For every measure left undelivered he accepts a penalty of one gold solidus; the document was drawn up at Arsinoe on Epeiph 14.

In English machine translation

[recto] † [† In the name] of the Lord and Master [Jesus Christ], our God and Saviour, and [of] our [Lady] the holy Mother of God and [of all the saints]. Epeiph 14 of the tenth indiction, in Arsinoe. To [Flavius Ioannes], the most glorious illustris [and pagarch] of this city of the Arsinoites, [Aurelius] Phoibammon, headman (meizon), son of Menas, [from the village] of Boubastos in the Arsinoite nome, greetings. [I acknowledge] of my own free will, swearing by God Almighty, that I have agreed with your gloriousness concerning the grain of the auspicious embole of the present tenth indiction, that I am ready […] in full and without shortfall […] and to pay it in full to it (your gloriousness). If I do not do this, but any of it remains outstanding, I am liable to provide to it for each measure remaining outstanding one solidus of gold, gold solidus 1. The acknowledgement is valid, and having been asked the formal question I gave my assent. † I, Phoibammon, headman, son of Menas, agree to everything as stated above. [verso] […] of Aurelius Phoibammon, headman, son of Menas, from the village of Boubastos in the Arsinoite nome, to Flavius Ioannes, the most glorious illustris and pagarch. Through me, Kalomenas son of […], with God, notary.

The embole was the annual grain levy shipped to Constantinople; the meizon was a village headman responsible for collecting it. No calendar year is given; the formulas suggest the Byzantine period, probably 6th-7th century AD.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Undertaking to Collect Corn for the Embole). 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 →

cpr.14.1

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

[r] † † ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου καὶ δεσπότου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν καὶ τῆς δεσποίνης ἡμῶν τῆς ἁγίας θεοτόκου καὶ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων. Ἐπεὶφ ιδ δεκάτης ἰνδικτίονος, ἐν Ἀρσινόῃ. Φλαουίῳ Ἰωάννῃ τῷ ἐνδοξοτάτῳ ἰλλουστρίῳ καὶ παγάρχῳ ταύτης τῆς Ἀρσινοιτῶν πόλεως, Αὐρήλιος …