DDbDP transcription: p.oxy.12.1409 [xml]
AD 278 Oxyrhynchus
τῆς γραφείσης ἐπιστολῆς εἰς κοινὸν ἡμῖν στρατη[γοῖς καὶ δε]καπρώτοις τῆς [Ἑπτανομίας καὶ Ἀρσινο]ΐ̣τ̣[ο]υ̣
ὑ(*)πὸ Οὐλπίου Αὐρηλίου τοῦ κρατ[ίσ]του διοικητοῦ περ[ὶ τῆς τῶν] χωμάτων ἀπερ[γασίας καὶ τῆς τῶν διωρύχω]ν̣(*) ἀνα-
καθάρσεως ἀντίγραφον ἐπιστέλλεται ὑ(*)μῖν, φίλτ[ατοι, ἵνα εἰ]δῆτε καὶ τοῖς γ̣ρ̣[αφεῖσιν ἀκολουθῆτε. ὃς δʼ] ἂν πρό-
5τερος ὑ(*)μῶν κομίσηται τόδε τ[ὸ] ἐπίσταλμα τοῖς [λοι]π̣[οῖς] μεταδότω. ἐρρῶ[σθαι ὑμᾶς εὔχομαι, φίλτ]ατοι· ·
(ἔτους) γ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Μάρκου Αὐρηλίου Πρόβου Σεβαστοῦ Φαρμοῦθι [ ̣]
Οὔλπιος Αὐρήλιος στρατηγοῖς κ[αὶ] δεκαπρώτοις Ἑπτανομίας καὶ Ἀρσινοΐ(*)του [χαίρειν. τοῦ καιροῦ τῆς τῶν]
χωμάτων ἀπεργασίας καὶ τῆ[ς] τῶν διωρύχων ἀνακαθάρσεως ἐνεστη[κότος παραγγέλλειν ὑμῖν ἀναγ-]
καῖον ἡγησάμην διὰ τῶνδε τῶν γραμμάτων ὡς χρὴ σύμπαντας τοὺς γε̣[ωργοὺς - ca.18 -]
10ταῦτα ἀπεργάζεσθαι ἤδη μετὰ πάσης προθυμίας ἐπὶ τὰ διαφέροντα αὐτοῖς π̣ ̣[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣] π̣ρὸ[ς τὸ δ]η̣[μοσίᾳ τε]
πᾶσιν καὶ ἰ(*)δίᾳ ἑκάστῳ συμφέρον· τὴν γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων τούτων γεινομένην ὠφ̣[ελί]α̣ν πάντας ε̣[ἰδέναι πέ-]
πεισμαι. ὅθεν διὰ φροντίδος ὑ(*)μῖν τοῖς στρατηγοῖς καὶ τοῖς δεκαπρώτοις γενέ̣[σθω ἐπ]ε̣ῖξαι μὲν ἅπα̣ν[τας ἀντι-]
λαβέσθαι τῆς ἀναγκαιοτάτης ταύτης ἐργασίας, αἱρεθῆναι δὲ τοὺς εἰωθότας εἰ[ς] τοῦτο χειροτονεῖσθα[ι ἐπιμελη-]
τὰς ἐξ(*) ἀρχόντων ἢ καὶ ἰ(*)διωτῶν τοὺς ἀναγκάσοντας ἑκάστους τὰ προσήκοντα ἔργα αὐτοῖς σώμ[ασιν ἀπο-]
15πληρῶσαι κατὰ τὸν δοθέντα ὅρον ἐν τῇ τοῦ ἀποτάκτου συστάσει ἄνευ τιν[ὸ]ς ἀπεχθείας ἢ χάριτο[ς, ὥστε ἐπε-]
νεχθῆναι εἰς τὸ τεταγμένον ὕ(*)ψος τε καὶ πλάτος τὰ χώματα καὶ τοὺς διακόπους ἀποφραγῆναι πρὸ[ς τὸ δύνα-]
σθαι ἀντέχειν(*) τῇ ἐσομένῃ εὐτυχῶς πλημύρᾳ τοῦ ἱ(*)ερωτάτου Νείλου, τάς τε διώρυχας ἀνα[καθαρῆ-]
ναι μέχρι τῶν καλουμένων γνωμόνων καὶ τοῦ συνήθους διαστήματος, ἵ(*)ν[α ε]ὐμαρῶς [τὴν] ἐσομέν[ην τῶν]
ὑ(*)δάτων εἴσροιαν ὑ(*)ποδέχοιντο πρὸς ἀρδείαν τῶν ἐδαφῶν, τούτου κοινωφ[ελ]οῦς τυγχ[άνοντος,] μηδ[ένα δὲ]
20ἀντὶ τῶν ἔργων ἀργύριον τὸ παράπαν πράτ’τεσθαι. ἐὰν γὰρ τοιοῦτο ἐπιχειρ[ῆσ]αι τολμή[σ]ῃ̣ ἢ̣ τῶν πρ[οστετα-]
γμένων ἀμελήσῃ, ἴ(*)στω ὅτι ὡς λυμαινόμενος(*) τοῖς ἐπὶ τῇ σωτηρίᾳ συνπά[ση]ς τῆς Αἰγύπτου προῃρ̣[ημέ-]
νοις οὐ μόνον περὶ χρημάτων ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ψυχῆς τὸν ἀγῶνα ἕξε[ι. ἐ]ρρῶσθαι ὑμᾶς εὔχομαι. (ἔτους) γ̣ [ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣]
(hand 2) Αὐρήλιο[ς Σ]ιλβανὸς ὑπηρέτης(*) ἐπήνεγκα (ἔτους) γ Φαρμοῦθι ϛ.
Apparatus
^ 3. ϋπο papyrus
^ 3. ] corr. ex
^ 4. ϋμιν papyrus
^ 5. ϋμων papyrus
^ 5. · papyrus
^ 7. αρσινοϊτου papyrus
^ 11. ϊδια papyrus
^ 12. ϋμιν papyrus
^ 14. corr. ex
^ 14. ϊδιωτων papyrus
^ 16. ϋψοσ papyrus
^ 17. corr. ex
^ 17. ϊερωτατου papyrus
^ 18. ϊν[α papyrus
^ 19. ϋδατων papyrus
^ 19. ϋποδεχοιντο papyrus
^ 20. πρατ’τεσθαι papyrus
^ 21. ϊστω papyrus
^ 21. corr. ex λε̣ι̣μαινομενοσ
^ 23. corr. ex
Editorial History; All History; (detailed)
© Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
HGV 21819 Translation (English) [xml]
(Translation: from P.Oxy. 12) Aurelius Harpocration, strategus of the Oxyrhynchite nome, to the decemprimi of the nome, greeting. A copy of the circular letter written to us, the strategi and decemprimi of the Heptanomia and Arsinofte nome, by his highness the dioecetes, Ulpius Aurelius, concerning the building up of the dykes and the cleansing of the canals is sent to you, dear friends, in order that you may be informed and follow his instructions. The one of you who is the first to receive this missive should communicate it to the rest. I pray for your health, dear friends. The 3rd year of our lord Marcus Aurelius Probus Augustus, Pharmouthi [.]. Ulpius Aurelius to the strategi and decemprimi of the Heptanomia and Arsinoite nome, greeting. The season for the building up of the dykes and the cleansing of the canals having arrived, I thought it necessary to announce to you by this letter that all the cultivators and ... ought now to build these up with all zeal on the ... belonging to them, with a view to both the public gain of all and their own private advantage. For I am persuaded that everyone is aware of the benefit resulting from these works. Therefore let it be the care of you, the strategi and decemprimi, both to urge all to devote themselves to this most necessary labour, and to see that the overseers usually elected for the purpose are chosen from magistrates or private persons, who will compel every one to perform his proper work by personal service, according to the rule given in the constitution of the appointment, with no malice or favour, so that the dykes are raised to the ordained height and breadth and the breaches are filled up, in order that they may be able to withstand the flood of the most sacred Nile auspiciously approaching, and that the canals are cleansed up to the so-called standards and the usual width, in order that they may easily contain the coming influx of water for the irrigation of the fields, this being for the common weal, and that absolutely no money is exacted from any one in place of work. If any one dare to attempt exactions or neglect these orders, let him know that not only his property but his life will be at stake for injuring measures designed for the safety of the whole of Egypt. I pray for your health. The 3rd year ... Presented by Aurelius Silvanus, assistant, in the 3rd year, Pharmouthi 6.