Associations in the Greco-Roman World (AGRW)

An expanding collection of inscriptions, papyri, and other sources in translation (run by Philip A. Harland)

Letter Concerning Seizure of a Surety by a President of an Association (after 142 BCE) Philadelphia - Fayum region


Philadelphia (Fayum region, Egypt — Pleiades map), after 142 BCE
GRA III 192 = PWürzb 4 = Papyri.info TM 5532 = AGRW ID# 31162


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Light brown papyrus (14 x 11.7 cm), blank on the verso. Currently located at Würzburg, Universität (inv. 21).

To Pankrates, who belongs to the “equally honored” (isotimoi ) among the “First Friends” and the administration (of lands).  (space)  From Apollonios son of . . .  Name (?). . . a Macedonian belonging to the command of Krito of the first cavalry leadership, a man possessing one hundred arourai of land (an aroura was about 2735 metres squared).

Since Nikander son of Simonides belonging to the command of Asklepiades of the first cavalry leadership, a man possessing eighty arourai of land, from my village of Philadelphia, having become, in the . . . xth year, the president of the association (tēs synestēkuias) which has been constituted by me and others, wished to fulfil his obligation to provide the offering, entered my house, and seized as a surety an iron lampstand valued at 3000 copper drachmas against a debt of 150 drachmas, which I did not owe.  He did this out of pure stubbornness, since I have already paid the debt that I owed him. Although I asked for the lampstand, he has not returned it . . . all.

Translation by: Kloppenborg



Πά[γ]κράτει τῶν ἰσοτίμων τοῖς | [πρώ]τοις φίλοις καὶ πρὸς τῆι συν|[τά]ξει vac. παρʼ Ἀπολλωνίου τοῦ | [ ̣ ̣ ̣]α̣του Μακεδόνως(Μακεδόνος) τῶν Κρίτωνος || [τῆ]ς α ἱπ(παρχίας) (ἑκατονταρούρου). Νικάνδρου τοῦ | Σιμωνίδου τῶν Ἀσκληπιάδου | [τῆς] η ἱπ(παρχίας) (ὀγδοηκονταρούρου) τῶν ἐκ τῆς αὐ|[τῆς] μοι κώμης Φιλαδελφείας, | [ἡγ]ησαμένου τῆς συνεστηκυίας || [ἐμο]ῦ τε καὶ ἄλλων αἱρέσεως ἐν τῶι | [ ̣ ̣] (ἔτει) καὶ τούτου βουλαμένου (βουλομένου) τὴν | [α]ὑτοῦ πρόθεσιν ἐκπληρῶσαι ἐπελ|[θὼν] ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν μου ἠνεχύρα|[σε λ]υχνίαν σιδηρᾶν ἀξιν (ἀξί<α>ν) χα(λκοῦ) (δραχμῶν) Γ || [πρὸς] χα(λκοῦ) δραχμὰς ρν, ἃς οὐδὲ ὤφιλον (ὤφειλον), διὰ τὴν ἀ̣|[το]ῦ(αὐ|[το]ῦ) αὐθάδιαν (αὐθάδειαν), διορθωσάμην (διωρθωσάμην) | [ὃ γέ]γονεν ἐμοὶ ὀφίλημα (ὀφείλημα). ἀπαιτοῦν|[το]ς τὴν λ[υχ]νίαν οὐκ ἀποδέδω|[κεν] ἐν πρ[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣]σ̣ηπατε χρυ̣ ̣ ̣ || [ -ca.?- ]τ̣η[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣] ̣ ̣ν πάσ̣ης | -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --.

Item added: April 22, 2020
Item modified: June 6, 2022
ID number: 31162
Short link address:
http://www.philipharland.com/greco-roman-associations/?p=31162

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