DDbDP transcription: p.cair.isid.1 [xml]
AD 297 Karanis
[Reprinted from: sb.5.7622] SB 5 7622
γνόντε[ς οἱ] προνοητικώτατοι Αὐτοκράτορε[ς ἡμῶ]ν Διοκλητι[αν]ὸς καὶ Μαξιμιανὸς οἱ Σεβαστο[ὶ] καὶ
Κωνστάντιος καὶ Μαξιμιανὸς οἱ ἐπιφανέστατοι Καίσαρ[ε]ς ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ν̣ε̣ ̣ ̣ ὡς ἔτυχεν τὰς ἐπιβολὰς τῶν δη-
μοσίων εἰσφορῶν γίγνεσθαι ὥς τινας μὲν κου[φ]ίζεσθ[α]ι ἄλλους δὲ βαρῖσθαι(*), τὴν κακίστην ταύ-
5την καὶ ὀλέθριον συνήθειαν ἐκκόψαι ὑπὲρ τοῦ [συμ]φέροντος τῶν ἑαυτῶν ἐπαρχει-
ωτῶν(*) τύπον τε σωτήριον δοῦναι καθʼ ὃν δέοι τὰς εἰ[σφο]ρὰς γίγνεσθαι κατηξίωσαν.
πόσα οὖν ἑκάστῃ ἀρούρᾳ πρὸς τὴν ποιότητα τῆς γῆς ἐπεβλήθη καὶ πόσα ἑκάστῃ κεφαλῇ
τῶν ἀγροίκων καὶ ἀπὸ ποίας ἡλικείας(*) μέχ[ρ]ει(*) π[ο]ίας, ἀπὸ τοῦ προτεθέντος θείου διατάγματος
καὶ τοῦ αὐτῷ συννηννωμένου(*) βρεουίου [οἷς] τὰ ἀντίγραφα τούτου μου τοῦ διατάγματος
10δημοσίᾳ προύταξα, ἔνεστιν πᾶσι ̣υνο[ ̣ ̣]ν̣. [εὐ]εργετηθέντες οὖν καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τὰ μέγιστα
οἱ ἐπαρχειῶται(*) φροντισάτωσαν ἀκολούθως τοῖς θειωδῶς διατυπωθεῖσιν τὰς εἰσφο-
ρὰς μετὰ πάσης ταχύτητος ποιήσασθαι καὶ μηδαμῶς(*) ἀνάγκην τοῦ ἐπιξαντος(*) ἐκδέχεσ-
θαι. προσῆκεν γὰρ τὰ εἰς καθοσίωσιν σύνπαντα προθυμότατα ἕκαστον πληροῦν· εἰ γάρ
τις ἄλλο πράξας ὀφθείη(*) μετὰ τὴν τοιαύτην δωρεὰν κινδυνεύσει. προσετάχθησαν
15δὲ οἱ ἄρχοντες καὶ οἱ προπολειτευόμενοι(*) ἑκά[σ]της πόλεως καὶ τοῦ θείου διατάγματος
μετὰ μεγαλοῦ(*) βρεουίου τὸ ἀντίγραφον ἔτι τε καὶ τούτου εἰς ἑκάστην κώμην εἴτ’ʼ οὖν τόπον
ἀποστεῖλαι ὑπὲρ τοῦ εἰς γνῶσιν ἁπάντων ᾗ τάχο[ς] ἐλθεῖν τὴν μεγαλοδωρίαν τῶν
Αὐτοκρατόρων ἡμῶν καὶ τῶν Καισάρων. ἀ[ν]α̣μιμν[ῄσ]κονται δὲ καὶ οἱ πρακτῆρες
ἑκάστου εἴδους πάσῃ δυνάμι(*) παραφυλάττειν· [εἰ] γάρ τις παραβὰς ὀφθείη κεφαλῇ
20κινδυνεύσι(*). (ἔτους) ιγ ((s-etous)) καὶ ιβ ((s-etous)) καὶ ε ((s-etous)) τῶν κυρίων ἡμῶν Διοκλητιανοῦ καὶ Μαξιμιανοῦ
Σεβαστῶν καὶ Κωνσταντίου καὶ Μαξιμιανοῦ ἐπιφανεστάτων Καισάρων, Φαμενὼθ κ.
Editorial History; All History; (detailed)
© Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
HGV 17375 Translation (English) [xml]
Aristius Optatus , the most eminent prefect of Egypt says: Our most provident Emperors, Diocletian and Maximian, the noble Caesars .... having learned that the levies of the public taxes were being levied capriciously so that some persons were let off lightly while others were overburdened, decided in the interests of their provincials to root out this most evil and ruinous practice and issue a salutary rule to which the taxes would have to conform. Thus it is possible for all to know the amount levied on each aroura in accordance to with the character of the land, and the amount levied on each head of the rural population, and the minimum and maximum ages of liability, from the imperial edict which has been published and the schedule attached thereto, to which I have prefixed for public display the copies of this edict of mine. Accordingly, since in this too they have been treated with the greatest beneficence, let the provincials take care to make their contributions with all speed in conformity with the imperial regulations and in no wise wait for the collector to exercise compulsion. For it is fitting that each person discharge most zealously the full burden of loyalty, and if anyone should be detected doing otherwise after such beneficence, he will risk punishment. The magistrates and the presidents of the councils of each city have been ordered to dispatch to each village or place whatsoever a copy of the imperial edict together with the schedule and also this edict (of mine) as well, to the end that the munificence of our Emperors and Caesars may come as speedily as possible to the knowledge of all. The collectors of every kind of tax are also reminded to look to their duties to the best of their ability, for if anyone should be detected in transgression, he will risk capital punishment. Years 13, 12 and 5 of our lords Diocletian and Maximian, Augusti, and Constantius and Maximian, most noble Caesars, Phamenoth 20.