Associations in the Greco-Roman World (AGRW)

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Regulations of an Association of Fishermen (538 CE) Aphrodito village - Upper Egypt


Aphrodito village (Upper Egypt, Egypt — Pleiades map), 538 CE (January 23)
GRA III 285 = SB III 6704 = BL X 186 = Papyri.info TM 18825 = AGRW ID# 31559


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Papyrus which may have belonged to the Archive of Flavius Dioskoros son of Apollos (TM Arch id: 72), a landlord and notary in Aphrodito. Now in Ghent (University Pap. 44).

After the consulship of the most distinguished Flavius Belisarius, on the 28th of Tybi, first indiction. To the Flavii Hermauos son of Abraamis and Anouphios son of Horos, presidents (kephalaiotai), and to our guild (homotechnē) from the village of Aphrodito in the Antaiopolitan district (nome), the association (koinotēs) of fishermen (agreutai) who belong to the distinguished house of the same village of Aphrodito, whose names are subscribed below – both those who can write and on behalf of those who cannot, greetings. We acknowledge by common consent and by means of this secured agreement, free from violence, coercion, and robbery, voluntarily, and convinced that your presidency over us (10) should last as long as the most illustrious landowner desired it, from today and the aforementioned days, which is the 28th of Tybi of the current first indiction.  And that we obey you in all good works that are pleasing to God and man, eagerly in the traditional and ancestral manner, with regard to all obligations that come from the agreements and custom, and according to the agreement we have here with the same landowner, whereby we all take the responsibility in equal parts for fair settlement.

If one of us marries, he shall give two jars (angia) of wine, but if the wife is the daughter of one of us, let him give a jar of wine. But if any one of us . . . wants in secret, he shall present . . . Whoever receives the price of a light boat and we have someone who wants to buy this boat . . . if he (?) sells another boat to the same man in violation of the wishes of the first person, he will pay a fine. Whoever has stolen a boat like a bandit, if it was in the water he will pay a gold trimesion (= aureus), but if it is found in his possession in the . . . fine . . . whoever comes to come to an agreement with whoever of us . . . for the tax that has been assessed . . . all the public charges and the expenses . . . from us . . . give yearly . . . contribute in accordance with custom. Whoever agrees (?) to come to legal agreements (?).

Translation by: Kloppenborg



[μ]ε̣τ̣ὰ̣ τ̣ὴν ὑπατείαν Φλ(αυίου) Βελισαρίου τοῦ ἐνδοξ(οτάτου), Τῦβι κη πρώτης ἰνδικ(τίονος). | Φ̣[λα]υ̣ίοις̣ Ἑρμ̣α̣υ̣ῶτι Ἀβρααμίο(υ) καὶ Ἀνο(υ)φίῳ (Καιανο(ῦ) (l. Γαιανο(ῦ)), Δίῳ) Ὥρο(υ), κεφαλαιωταῖς | [κ]α̣ὶ ὁμοτέχνῃ ἡμῶν ἀπὸ κώμης Ἀφροδίτης τοῦ Ἀνταιοπολίτου νομοῦ, | κοινότης τῶν ἀγρευτῶν τῶν καὶ διαφερόντων τῷ ἐνδόξῳ οἴκῳ || τῆς αὐτῆς κώμης Ἀφροδίτης πρὸς τὴν ὑπογραφὴν τῶν εἰδότων | καὶ <ὑπὲρ> τῶν μὴ εἰδότων ὑπογραψάντων, χαίρ(ειν). ὁμολογοῦμεν κοινῇ γνώμῃ | καὶ ἀδόλῳ προαιρέσει κατὰ τήνδε τὴν ἔγγραφον ἀσφάλειαν ὁμολογίαν, | ἄνευ οἵας δήποτε βίας καὶ ἀνάγκης καὶ συναρπαγῆς, ἑκώντες (ἑκόντες) | καὶ πεπεισμένοι, ὥστε ὑ(ϋμασ)μᾶς εἶναι ἐπάνω ἡμῶν κεφαλαιωτὰς || πρὸς ὃν βο(ύ)λεται χρόνον ὁ λαμπρότατος γεοῦχος ἀπὸ τῆς σήμερον καὶ | προγεγραμμένης ἡμέρας, ἥτις ἐστὶν Τῦβι εἰκὰς ὀγδόη τῆς | ἐνεστώσης πρώτης ἰνδικ(τίονος), καὶ ὑπακούειν ὑμῖν ἐν πᾶσι | καλοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς ἀρέσκουσι τῷ θεῷ καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, | πρὸς τὸ παλαιὸν καὶ γονικὸν ἡμῶν ἔθος ἀόκνως οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ || καὶ πάντα τ̣ὰ̣ συνθέματα καὶ τὰς συνηθείας καὶ α̣ ̣ρτικ̣ ̣ | ον̣τας ἐν τῇ γεγενημένῃ παρʼ ἡμῶν ὁμολογίᾳ τῷ αὐτῷ γεούχῳ̣, | ἡμῶν πάντων ἐπιγινωσκόντων ἐξ ἰσομερίας (ἰσομερείας) δικαίῳ | λόγῳ. εἰ δέ τις ἐξ ἡμῶν γαμήσῃ, δώσει οἴνο(υ) ἀγγῖα (ἀγγεῖα) δύο , εἰ δʼ ἔκ̣ | τινος ἡμῶν γεννηθεῖσα, παρέξει οἴνο(υ) ἀγγῖον (ἀγγεῖον) ἕν , εἰ δέ τις ἐξ ἡμῶν || [ ̣ ̣]δ̣[ ̣]δ̣[ -ca.?- ] | βουλόμενος ἐν κρυπτῷ, παρέξει [ -ca.?- ] | πρ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣τ̣η ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣θ̣ε̣ι̣ ̣ ̣ π̣α̣ρ̣ὰ̣ τ̣ο̣ῦ̣ \α̣ὐ̣τ̣ο̣ῦ̣/ π̣ρ̣ώ̣τ̣ο̣υ̣ δ̣ώ̣σ̣ε̣ι̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ρ̣ο̣υ̣ | κ̣α̣ὶ̣ τ̣ὰ̣ α̣ὐ̣τ̣ὰ ξύλα ε[ -ca.?- ]π̣ρ̣ω̣τ̣[ ̣ ̣]· ὁ δὲ λαβὼν τίμημα πάκτονος | καὶ εὐχόμεν\ος/ μετὰ τοῦ βουλομέν[ο(υ)] ἀγοράσαι τοῦτον τὸ\ν/ πάκτονα κα̣ὶ̣ [ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣] || [ ̣]ς π̣ω̣λύσῃ (πωλήσῃ) τῷ αὐτῷ ἀνδρὶ ἄλλον πάκτονα παρὰ τὴν γνώμη[ν] | τοῦ πρώτου ἀνθρώπου δώσει νόμισμα. ὁ δὲ κλεψάμενος | ἕν̣α ξ[ύ]λον ἐν λυστρ̣[ικῷ] (λῃστρικῷ) τ̣ρ[ό]π̣ῳ̣, εἰ μ̣ὲν ἐν τῷ \ὕ/δατι, παρέξει χρυσοῦ | [τ]ρ̣ιμή̣σιον ἕν , εἰ δʼ εὑρηθείη μὲν παρʼ αὐτο(ῦ) ἐν τῇ ἐπα ̣ ̣[ ̣ ̣ ̣] | [ -ca.?- ν]όμισμα ἐπὶ τ[ ̣]δε ἡμᾶς πάντας || [ -ca.?- ] καὶ συνελθεῖν μιᾷ γνώμῃ μετά τινος ἡμῶν | [ -ca.?- ]τ̣ο̣ ε̣ἰ̣σ̣δι̣δομέν[ο]υ | [ -ca.?- ]διο̣ τὰ δὲ δημόσια̣ τὰ καὶ ἀνήκο[ντα] | [ -ca.?- ] ̣ ̣ ̣σ̣ε̣υ̣ον̣τ̣α̣ παρʼ ἡμῶν διδόν[α]ι καθʼ ἔτος (ηαθετος) | [ -ca.?- ] ἐγκαταβαλεῖν πρὸς τὸ ἔθος· ὁ δ̣[ὲ συγ]χωρήσας | -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --.

Item added: July 17, 2020
Item modified: July 17, 2020
ID number: 31559
Short link address:
http://www.philipharland.com/greco-roman-associations/?p=31559

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