Papyri.info

(Translation: from P.Oxy. 3) To Julius Varianus, epistrategus of the Heptanomis and Arsinoite nome, from Dionysia daughter of Chaeremon, her mother being Hermione daughter of Chaeremon, inhabitants of the metropolis of the Oxyrhynchite nome. A dispute arose between me and one Sarapion son of Mnesitheus, who with regard to a vineyard and some corn-land which I bought from his father as long ago as the 11th year of Hadrianus Caesar the lord, having paid to his father himself and to a creditor of his the price agreed upon and having received the regular official contract of the sale, declared that I held this land on mortgage. Claudius Quintianus who was then epistrategus heard the case and referred it to his highness the praefect. Thereupon I attended at the praefect’s court, and when my opponent paid no attention and failed to appear I presented his highness the praefect with a petition, of which I have appended a copy, narrating in full the state of the affair; and he sent me on to you, my lord, to have the case tried. Since my opponent even now is absent and the time for sowing is imminent and the repair of what has been swept away by the river requires my presence, I beg you, if it please you, to permit me to sail back and have the case decided by you on the spot, that I may obtain redress. Farewell. The copy of the petition which I presented to his highness the praefect is as follows :— To his highness the praefect Titus Flavius Titianus from Dionysia daughter of Chaeremon, her mother being Hermione, inhabitants of Oxyrhynchus. A certain Sarapion son of Mnesitheus, of the said city, charged my mother Hermione before Claudius Quintianus, late epistrategus of the Heptanomis, with poisoning, and at the same time invented a claim with regard to certain property of which he said he was defrauded, but which I, Dionysia, bought in accordance with official contracts, having paid the price of it to his father when he was alive and to creditors of his said father who held the land in question on mortgage; and he asserted that it had been registered in security. The epistrategus referred the whole case to your beneficence, and it happened that my mother died before the trial, while I thereupon in consequence of the letter of the epistrategus ordering me and Sarapion to sail down to Alexandria presented myself here, but Sarapion has paid no attention to the instruction to sail down. Since therefore news has reached me while staying here that all my property has been lost through the excessive rise of the most sacred Nile, both buildings, lands, and dykes, I entreat you, my lord praefect, in the continued absence of my opponent, to permit me to sail back in order that I may obtain justice (there) and that I may not in addition to the loss of my property also perish of hunger, that I may obtain redress. Farewell. The 16th year of Hadrianus Caesar, Phaophi 12. ((Endorsed)) If this is true, petition the epistrategus, delivering (to him a copy of this).