Inventory number

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Year 54, Hathyr 22, Diospolis Magna

Before Herakleides, one of the archisomatophylakes, epistates of Perithebas and officer of district revenues, and in the presence of Polemon and Herakleides (both archisomatophylakes), Herakleides also serving as gymnasiarch, Apollonios son of Apollonios, Hermogenes of the philoi, Pankrates of the diadochoi, Komanos the commander, Paniskos son of Ammonios of the katechoi, and many others, Hermias son of Ptolemaios, of the Ombite lineage, brought a case against the local choachytes—Horos, Psenchonsis, Panas, Chonopres, and their brothers.

A petition submitted by Hermias, syngenes, strategos, and nomarch, was read aloud. The petition, forwarded to me, reads as follows:

"To Hermias, syngenes, strategos, and nomarch, from Hermias, son of Ptolemaios, one of the diadochoi and acting commander.

In year 53, month of Mecheir, when Demetrios, syngenes and epistrategos, arrived in Diospolis Magna, I submitted a petition against Horos son of Harsiesis, Psenchonsis son of Teephibis, Panas son of Pechytis, Chonopres son of Harsiesis, and their brothers, who perform rites in the necropoleis and are known as choachytes.

In that petition I stated:

• I own certain ancestral properties in Diospolis Magna that were held by my forefathers during their lifetimes;

• the accused, whose administrative domicile is in the Memnoneia—where they and their ancestors were allowed to reside—have ignored me, as I live elsewhere, and have unlawfully taken over my house. This house, located in the southwest of Diospolis, lies north of the road leading to the river of the great goddess Hera and south of the road to the sanctuary of Demeter. The walls were still intact.

  
  

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• By force, they rebuilt the damaged parts and now live there, falsely claiming ownership.

When I learned of this, I traveled to Diospolis Magna in year 45. Upon confronting them, they claimed to have purchased the house from Lobais, daughter of Herieus. I therefore submitted a petition that same year to the sovereigns, against Lobais, before the chrematistai of Diospolis Magna, where Dionysos served as presiding judge. I placed it in the official petition jar to preclude any excuse on their part.

When my case was heard in Pachon, year 45, she admitted she had no claim, as neither she nor her ancestors had any share of the land. Together, we presented a renunciation in which she declared no past or present claim to the house.

Accordingly, the accused were evicted and withdrew to the Memnoneia. I, having endured damage for a long time, returned to my home, as they ceased further contact. On subsequent visits to Diospolis Magna, they would flee upon my arrival.

Not only did they occupy my house, but they also left corpses there, disregarding the associated penalties. And this, despite:

• the house being located on the sacred processional route of Hera and Demeter, for whom dead bodies and those handling them are considered impure;

• a previous strategos, Aineas, had written to Ptolemaios (then epistates) to relocate these people to the Memnoneia, per royal orders relayed by Tatas, the king’s physician;

• strategos Diasthenes had also issued instructions to relocate the choachytes.

I will submit copies of these orders at trial.

When ordered by Demetrios' men to appear in court until the matter was resolved, they left and did not appear. As Demetrios was departing, I asked that the case be judged by you. I delivered the document at Latonpolis during Phamenoth.

Later, you instructed Ptolemaios, then epistates, to summon them so our dispute could be settled. Since they were not summoned,

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when, in the month of Pauni of that same year, you arrived in Diospolis Magna with Demetrios for the crossing of the great god Ammon, I handed you the aforementioned petition against the named parties. When ordered again to appear, they absconded and did not show up, so I was compelled to return with you to your district.

Therefore, I request that, considering the harm done to me by these impious individuals, you instruct—if it seems just—Herakleides, epistates of Perithebas, to summon the guilty and investigate. If I prove my case, they should be expelled from the house and, once proven guilty of placing corpses there, brought before you to receive due punishment. Once this occurs, justice will be done.

Be well.

To Herakleides. Year 54, Phaophi 21.

Given the circumstances, and after the advocates presented their cases—Philokles for Hermias and Deinon for Horos and his group—the selected documents were read aloud. As Philokles cited points from the petition, he read aloud the following:

• A copy of the petition to the sovereigns, said to have been deposited by Hermias in the petition jar maintained by the chrematistai during their presence in Diospolis Magna, whose presiding judge was Dionysos. It was lodged against Lobais, daughter of Herieus, who had sold the house to Horos and his group. Lobais, he added, issued a joint renunciation, stating no claim to the house, past or present. Thus, Hermias had prevented them from claiming possession.

• A report from the basilikos grammateus, related to

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a legal case brought by Hermias against Harmais, son of Nechtmonthes, a priest of Ammon at Diospolis Magna, concerning twenty arourae of grain fields. These had belonged to Hermias’ ancestors. The advocate revealed that Apollonios, son of Damon, had unlawfully sold them to Harmais. Apollonios later replaced Harmais in the lawsuit, and a report was prepared for the chrematistai by the basilikos grammateus based on findings from the topogrammateus and komogrammateus. They found that the land had been registered to Hermon, son of Hermias and maternal grandfather of Hermias. Apollonios had jointly submitted a renunciation, relinquishing claim to the land. This, the advocate argued, offered decisive precedent for Hermias' case against Horos and his associates over the house.

• A copy of the ordinance stating that unregistered Egyptian contracts are invalid, and thus Horos' documents could not be used.

• Excerpts from local law stating that any contract not confirmed under oath is inadmissible, and any forged contract must be torn up.

• A statute on legal guarantees requiring defendants to sue those who transferred the property to them.

• Additional decrees by Hermias (syngenes, strategos, nomarch), including a letter from strategos Diasthenes (accompanied by a letter from Ammon's priests and a report from topogrammateus Pamonthes), and another from strategos Aineas about relocating embalmers (taricheutai) from Diospolis Magna to the Memnoneia. These documents, the advocate claimed, further supported Hermias' ownership.

• Statutes of limitations, noting that the defendants failed to act in time.

Having concluded these arguments, he demanded that the defendants be evicted and the house returned to Hermias.

Deinon, counsel for Horos and his group, then argued that Hermias, relying on baseless accusations, had maliciously harmed them.

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The defense asserted the house belonged to the choachytes based on Egyptian contracts translated into Greek, deposited in evidence:

• A deed from Pachon, year 28 of Philometor's reign, stating that Teephibis, father of Psenchonsis and Chonopres, purchased seven and a half square cubits of land in the southern section of a ten-cubit undeveloped area from Helekis, Lobais, Tbaiais, Senerieus, Herieus, Senosorphibis, and Sisois (also known as Herieus);

• Another deed, where Hasos, father of Nechoutes, Hasos, a second Nechoutes, and sister Nechoutis, similarly bought two and a half cubits from the same group in the same year and month;

• A deed from Mesore, year 35 of the same king, recording that Pechytes, father of Panas, Patous, Pasemis, Harpchemis, and Senamounis, purchased a quarter share of the house (three and one-third cubits) from Ammonios and Zbendetis.

As taxes on these contracts had been paid, the defense claimed uninterrupted ownership for 37 years.

He cited amnesty decrees stating that those who have long held property must be allowed to retain it, even if lacking supporting documents.

Reviewing opposing documents, the defense noted that:

• The plaintiff admitted that his father left Diospolis Magna with other soldiers during a southern revolt under the god Epiphanes;

• Calculating the years (24 under Epiphanes, 35 under Philometor, 29 under the god Euergetes) gives 88 years.

Thus, Hermias had not lived in Diospolis Magna and had no valid claim after so long a time. Neither he nor his father had held property rights there.

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Furthermore, Hermias had submitted no receipt or ownership proof. He had deceitfully filed a renunciation. With nine vendors involved and Horos’ group living in the house as full possessors, Hermias should have filed against them, who in turn should have sued the vendors, either concluding the suit or establishing a guarantee case. This should have been a public trial with all parties present.

If Hermias had truly sought legal justice, he would have followed due process, not acted deceitfully. His adversaries could not know if he conspired with Lobais alone—the same Lobais who had already sold her share (one-seventh of seven and a half cubits). Her claim amounted to a single cubit.

The defense then showed, referring to Hermias' prior case against Harmais and Apollonios:

• That Hermias accused Harmais of purchasing land Hermias claimed was his;

• That Hermias had sued Harmais (the buyer), not Apollonios (the seller);

• That Harmais, having sued Apollonios, shifted the suit to him, who then claimed rights based on the earlier case.

Thus, Hermias had no remaining claim via the renunciation with Lobais, nor did this evict Horos' group.

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Regarding the ordinance on contract registration, the defense said it did not support Hermias, who had admitted Lobais and her brothers sold the house to Horos and his siblings and later filed a petition against her.

On laws about contract guarantees via oath, even if the case had gone before local judges (laokritai), Hermias would first have had to prove he was the son of Ptolemaios and of the woman he claimed as mother, and that they descended from those he cited.

Similarly, under Greek civic law, he would need to provide this evidence, register his inheritance, and pay succession tax—or face a 10,000-drachma fine and invalidated legal rights.

Additionally:

• The royal amnesty of Thoth 19, year 53 absolved all subjects, so Hermias' contracts were untouchable;

• Property rights of Horos' group were protected by these amnesties and decrees, even if contracts were missing. They had now produced deeds and claimed the house accordingly.

• Hermias had submitted no counter-evidence.

Regarding prescription limits, the defense asserted:

• Rights must be claimed within one to three years, not indefinitely;

• Neither Hermias nor his father had ever lived in Diospolis Magna, so their claim had long expired.

He also submitted a ruling from Payni 8, year 51, showing Hermias lost his case before Ptolemaios (an earlier epistates), who had barred him from harassing Horos and his group further.

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He reiterated that Hermias must not interfere again, and that Horos’ group should be left in possession.

Regarding Hermias' separate lawsuit against Harmais and Apollonios, the defense argued:

• It was unrelated to this case;

• Hermias could not conflate unrelated disputes.

Regarding documents about the transfer of embalmers (taricheutai) to the Memnoneia, he stated:

• These documents were irrelevant;

• Hermias clearly knew he had no claim and acted as an informer to intimidate opponents.

Horos' group were not embalmers but choachytes (mummy custodians), with distinct duties.

During official festivals, they scattered sand in Ammon's temple and Hera's sanctuary. They led annual processions in the Memnoneia, performing their sacred roles as choachytes. Embalmers had separate royal protection.

Even if embalmers had been relocated, no one—not even Hermias—could seize their property. Each owned their share and could sell it.

Hermias introduced irrelevant material and claimed strategos-level authority. With no evidence, he assumed the role of accuser, filing unhelpful documents against embalmers, Harmais, and Apollonios.

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Had Hermias believed in his claim, he would not have submitted irrelevant documents.

Because:

• The advocates presented these and other arguments;

• Hermias presented no deed or document proving ancestral ownership, relying solely on rhetoric;

• Horos' group produced contracts proving their ancestors bought the house from Helekis, Lobais, and others (nine sellers total), paid taxes, and owned it continuously for 37 years;

• They also submitted a decree from year 26 on amnesties for property holders, and a court ruling from Ptolemaios (former epistates), forbidding claims by Hermias, who had filed nothing.

Therefore, based on their contracts and royal property decrees, and as no valid document was submitted against them,

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I ordered Hermias not to take possession by force, and I authorized Horos and his group to continue their lawful ownership of the house, as they had from the beginning.