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Egyptian Texts:  7.37


LOAN OF WHEAT


Text:   P.Dion. 3   [ TM 3086 ]   ,   P.Dion. 17
Provenance:   Tenis / Akoris
Date:   108 B.C.
Script:   Demotic
Translated by:   E. Boswinkel & P.W. Pestman
Format:   see key to translations

These two documents are part of the bilingual Archive of Dionysios son of Kephalas. Unlike the contracts from Saqqara, which are translated elsewhere on this website, they are concerned with the delivery and repayment of wheat; no money is involved except as a penalty if repayment is delayed.

The procedure in this case was somewhat unusual. The formal contract B was written in Greek; but on the same day, the agreement A was written in Demotic, making the wife and mother of Dionysios son of Kephalas liable if he defaulted on repayment. Perhaps it was thought necessary to give the creditor some extra security.


[A]   Year 10, third month of the akhet season, day 29, under the kings Cleopatra and Ptolemy, the mother-loving and saviour gods { Philometores Soteres }; and under the priest of Alexander and of the saviour gods { Soteres }, of the brother and sister gods { Philadelphoi }, of the beneficent gods { Euergetai }, of the father-loving gods { Philopatores }, of the manifest gods { Epiphaneis }, of the god who honours his father { Eupator }, of the mother-loving god { Philometor }, of the young father-loving god { Neos Philopator },of the beneficent god { Euergetes II }, and of the mother-loving and saviour gods; and under the other priests who are in Alexandria.

Said the woman . . . Senabollous, daughter of Herieus, whose mother is Senamounis, and the woman . . . Tasis, daughter of Pachois, whose mother is Tetosiris, that is, two women speaking with one voice, to the cavalryman of the squadron of Apollophanes, Dionysios son of Asklepiades:

Yours are 50 artabas of wheat - half of which make 25, which make 50 again - placed on us in accordance with a debt and a capital lent against interest. We will give it to you in the year 10, in the second month of the shemu season, on the last day, measured with a measure that conforms to the bronze measure, in the form of selected wheat, good, pure and without any foreign matter, and delivered to the landing place of Tenis free of transport costs and of any demand in the world.

As for whatever we have not given you of this, in the year 10, in the second month of the shemu season, in accordance with what is written above, we will give it to you in money, at the rate of 150 deben of silver - half of which make 75 deben of silver, which make 150 deben of silver again, in bronze, in the proportion of 24 obols for 2 kites - per artaba of wheat, in the following month, necessarily and without delay.

Everything that belongs to us as well as what we will acquire constitutes the guarantee of your right, in accordance with what is written. You will be able to compel whichever of us you wish to act for you in accordance with each word that is written above. We will not be able to say, 'We have already given you the wheat that is above; we have fulfilled towards you our obligation according to the document which is above,' as long as the document which is above is in your hand.

Written by Pekysis, son of Harphaphis, who writes on behalf of the priests of Thoth.

{ In Greek } Year 10, 29th of Hathyr, at Tenis of the Mochites; recorded by Ptolemaios.

{ Witnesses: }



[B]   In year ten of the reign of Cleopatra and Ptolemy, the gods Philometores Soteres;   under the priest who is in office in Alexandria, of Alexander, of the gods Soteres, of the gods Adelphoi, of the gods Euergetai, of the gods Philopatores, of the gods Epiphaneis, of the god Eupator, of the god Philometor, of the god Neos Philopator, of the god Euergetes, and of the gods Philometores Soteres;   under the 'sacred foal' {hieros pōlos} of Isis, the great mother of the gods;   and the stephanephoros of Queen Cleopatra, the goddess Philometor Soteira Dikaiosyne Nikephoros;   and the athlophoros of Berenike Euergetis;   and the phosphoros of Queen Cleopatra, the goddess Philometor Soteira Dikaiosyne Nikephoros;   and the kanephoros of Arsinoe Philadelphos;   and the priestess of Queen Cleopatra, the goddess Philometor Soteira Dikaiosyne Nikephoros;   and the priestess of Arsinoe Philopator;   and the priests and priestesses who are in office in Alexandria;   on the twenty-ninth day of the month of Audnaios, the twenty-ninth Hathyr, in Krokodilopolis which is also called the village of Akoris, in the district of Mochites, and in the Hermopolite nome.

Dionysios, son of Asklepiades, Persian, being one of the 'cavalry settlers' {katoikoi hippeis} of Apollophanes and Apollonios, lent to Dionysios, son of Kephalas, Persian of the epigone, thirty-three and a third artabas of solid wheat, which the latter received from him, delivered from his house, against interest of 50%, that is to say sixteen and two thirds artabas. And as for the corn and the interest, fifty artabas in all, the debtor shall give to Dionysios or to those who come on his behalf, in the month of Lōios which is Payni in the current tenth year, new corn, pure, not tampered with, measured with a measure that is in conformity with the bronze measure, with a fair strickle, these artabas being delivered to the landing place which serves the village of Akoris, at his own expense, without litigation or lawsuit, and without any embezzlement. And if he does not give it in accordance with what is written, he shall pay, as a price for each artaba, three thousand drachmas of bronze, and in no way less. The right of execution shall revert to Dionysios and to those who come on his behalf, for the corn and for all that is in the contract, from the debtor himself and from all that belongs to him, as if by virtue of a lawsuit. Let this contract be effective wherever it is produced.

Witnesses:

  • Dionysios, son of Apollonios
  • . . ., son of . . .
  • ...gelos, son of Ptolemaios
      - all three Macedonians, being among those registered at Kleopatra
  • Arimmas, son of Dionysius, of the deme Charisterios
  • Eumenes, son of Polykrates, Persian
  • Agenor, son of Barkaios, Lakedaimonian

    Keeper of the Contract {syngraphophylax} : Dionysios.

    { Declaration of the debtor: }

    I, Dionysios, son of Kephalas, Persian of the epigone, have the fifty artabas of wheat in accordance with what is above and have given the contract, as a document which has effect, to Dionysios.

    { Declaration of the syngraphophylax: }

    I, Dionysios, have the contact as a document that has effect.

    { Declaration of the registering scribe: }

    Year 10, on the 29th of Hathyr, in the village of Tenis which is also called the village of Akoris of the Mochites; registered by Ptolemaios.

    { Signed: }
    by Dionysios
    by Dionysios
    by Dionysios
    by . . .
    . . . { Docket: }

    Loan from Dionysios to Dionysios of 50 artabas of wheat.


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