PAPYRUS ELEPHANTINE 1
(P. ELEPH. 1)
O. Rubensohn, Elephantine Papyri; Ägyptische Urkunden aus
den königlichen Museen zu Berlin: Griechische Urkunden:
P.Eleph 1, 1‑18
(Please note that this translation
quite pedantically attempts to reproduce the Greek which,
however, is not quite as strained.)
Of Alexander son of
Alexander as basileus in the seventh year, of Ptolemaios as satrap in the four-
teenth year, month of Dios. syngraphe of cohabitation
of Herakleides
and Demetria. Herakleides, <Koan>, takes
Demetria, Koan, as a
genuine wife from her father Leptines, Koan, and her
mother Philotis, a freeborn man and
a freeborn woman, bringing with her clothing and ornamentation worth 1.000 dr(achmas). Herakleides, moreover,
5 shall provide Demetria everything befitting a free born wife, that we,
moreover, remain wherever it seem best
to Leptines and
Herakleides
consulting in common council. Should, however, Demetria
be discovered devising any evil to the disgrace of her man Herkleides,
she
shall be deprived of everything that she brought with her; Herakleides,
however, shall prove whatever he might allege against Demetria
before three men,
of whom both approve. Nor, on the other hand, shall it be permissible for Herakleides to take in another woman in insult (hybris) of Demetria,
{n}or
to produce children from another woman, {n}or for Herakleides to devise evil on any pretext at all against
Demetria.
10 If Herakleides is
discovered doing any such things and Demetria prove it before three men of whom they both
approve,
Herakleides shall give away to Demetria
the dowry which she brought worth 1.000
dr. and shall pay in addition 1.000 dr. of
sil-
ver of
Alexander. Action for recovering payment shall
be allowed to Demtria as if from dikē according to nomos, and to those acting with
Demetria, both from Herakleides
himself and also from all his property
both on land and maritime. This syngraphe
here shall be valid in every way as if
having been drawn up there wherever Herakleides might
bring it against
15 Demetria or either Demetria or those acting with Demetria
might bring it against Herakleides. Heraklei‑
des and Demetria shall both be guardians (kyrioi) of the syngraphe keeping
it in their own custody and producing it against each other. Witnesses:
Kleon, Gelan; Antikrates, Temnian; Lysis, Temnian; Dionysios, Temnian; Aristomachos, Kyrenaian; Aristodikos, Koan.
[311 BC]
PAPYRUS
P. Eleph. 2, 1‑18
L40 of Ptolemaios as basileus, month of Gorpiaios; Priest, Menelaos son
of
phe) and agreement. Dionysios, Temnian, arranged the following with Kallista, Temnian, his wi‑
fe. If anything happen to Dionysios, (it is
agreed) that he leave
all his property to Kallista and that she be mistress
(kyria) of
all the property while she lives. If anything happen to Kallista
while Dionysios is alive,
5 that Dionysios be kyrios of the
property. If, however, anything
happen to Dionysios he shall leave the
property
to all his sons.
Accordingly, moreover, Kallista, if anything happen to her, shall leave
the pr‑
operty to all the sons, with the exception of
portions which Bacchios, Herakleides,<and>
Metrodoros may receive for
work‑
ing from Dionysios and Kallista,
while father and mother were alive. But Bacchios, Herakleides,
Metrodoros having married and established themselves, the
property of Dionysios and Kallis‑
10 ta shall be common
among all the sons. If, however, Dionysios or Kallista
while alive are in any difficulty
or have outstanding debts,
all the sons shall provide
support in common and contribute
together to pay off debts, If,
however, any of them
not want to provide
support, or contribute towards paying off, or co‑operate in the burial,
he shall pay out a thousand drachmas,
and action shall be allowed
from (i.e. against) the one not co‑operating
and not acting as described. If,
however,
Dionysios or Kallista
leave any debt, it shall be permissible for the sons not to intervene if they
do not wa‑
15 nt
to after Dionysios and Kallista
are dead. This contract here shall be valid (kyria) in every way
wherever it may be produced, as
if agreed there. They have
willingly plac‑
ed the contract with Herakleitos as keeper of the contract. Witnesses: Polycrates,
Arcadian; Androsthenes, Koan;
Noumenios, Cretan; Simmonides, Maronean; Lysis <and> Herakleitos, Temnians.