To Apollonius the dioiketes greeting from Theopropus, sacred envoy from Calynda. In the 38th year my farmer Theron purchased from the city a concession to provide wine for the festival which is held yearly at Cypranda, and I provided the wine on his behalf, amounting to 84 metretae at 10 drachmas the metretes, which makes 840 dr., [borrowing at the legal interest, as Theron had no money to spend and had made the purchase through me]. And as the treasurers Diophantus and Acrisius had paid me 600 dr. towards this sum, but were withholding the balance of 250 dr. because the subscriptions had not all come in, I brought them before the strategos Motes and the oikonomos Diodotus, demanding the 250 dr. [and the interest]. The treasurers Diophantus and Acrisius asked that a decree should be drawn up for their instruction, saying that they had no authority to pay without a decree. But the prytaneis and the secretary procrastinated and had not proposed the decree up to the time when, having been appointed by the city as sacred envoy along with Diophantus, one of the treasurers, I came here to salute the king. If therefore you approve, kindly write to our city and to the strategos and the oikonomos to let the 250 dr. be paid to me [with the interest, whatever it may amount to from the time when I spent money on the wine for the city, as I myself borrowed from others and am still paying interest, seeing that before now it has been decided by decree to reimburse other such claimants (?) when the amount payable could not be obtained from the subscriptions], in order that I may not be wronged, but may have personal experience of your benevolence. Farewell.
Attalus' home page | 21.02.18 | Any comments?