Petition of Onnophris, farmer of crown lands at Oxyrhyncha, Egypt, complaining that the wife of his deceased brother and former partner has falsely accused him of stealing an amount of grains from his brother's property, and that he, in consequence, was disturbed from his land and house.
Translation: To Phanias, one of the first friends and strategos and supervisor of the revenues, from Onnophris son of Petemounis, one of the cultivators of Crown land of Oxyrhyncha. I was engaged in company with my brother Mestasytmis also called Pates, son of Petemounis, in the cultivation of 12 arouras of crown land at the village; and in the 32nd year, in Epeiph, my above-mentioned brother passed away, leaving neither seed-grain nor anything else at all, and so I was forced to take over all the land. While I was engaged in irrigation and work the former wife of Mestasytmis, Aynchis, mischievously wishing to practice extortion on me contrary to your intentions and the right, submitted memoranda against me, pretending I had carried off out of Mestasytmis' property 10 artabas of wheat and 10 of fenugreek, though nothing of the sort had occurred, and through her false statement it came about that I was unreasonably disturbed from the crown land, and further she went and sealed up my house, in which was as much as 2 artabas of fenugreek. For this reason I take refuge with you and beg you, if you think fit, to have a letter written to Sarapion the Epistates, ordering him to send her before you in order that I may obtain justice and she be punished. If this is done, I shall have received succor. Farewell.