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Select Papyri, 1.18


CONTRACT FOR LABOUR IN A VINEYARD AND LEASE OF A FRUIT-GARDEN

Greek text:   POxy 1631
Date:   A.D. 280.

To Aurelius Serenus also called Sarapion son of Agathinus and Taposirias, of the illustrious and most illustrious city of Oxyrhynchus, from the Aurelii Ctistus son of Rufus and Dionysia and his son Ptolemaeus, whose mother is Tauris, both of the illustrious and most illustrious city of Oxyrhynchus, and Peloius son of Heracleus and Tapontheus, of the village of Tanais (?). We voluntarily undertake to lease for one year more from Hathur 1 of the present 6th (?) year all the vine-tending operations in the vineyard owned by you in the area of the village of Tanais and the adjoining reed-plantation, whatever be the acreage of each, we, the party of Aurelius Ctistus, undertaking half and I, Peloius, the remaining half, which operations are, concerning the vineyard, plucking of reeds, collection and transport of them, proper pruning, making into bundles and binding, stripping and transport of leaves and throwing them outside the mud-walls, layering as many vine-shoots as are necessary, digging, scooping hollows round the vines and trenching, you, the landlord, being responsible for the arrangement of the reeds and we for assisting you in the work, we being responsible for the remaining operations after those mentioned, namely, breaking up the ground, picking off shoots, keeping the vines well tended, giving space to the growths, cutting back, needful thinnings of foliage; and concerning the reed-plantations, the bisection of each of the two, watering and continual weeding; and further we agree to assist you in the vineyard and the reed-plantation in superintending the asses which bring earth, in order that the earth may be thrown in the proper places, and we will perform the testing of the jars intended for the wine, and will put these, when they have been filled with wine, in the open-air shed, and plaster them, and move the wine, and strain it from one jar into another, and watch over them as long as they are stored in the open-air shed, the wage for all the aforesaid operations being 4500 silver drachmas, 10 artabas of wheat, and 4 jars of wine at the vat, which wages we are to receive in instalments according to the progress of the operations. And we likewise undertake to lease for one year the produce of all the date-palms and fruit-trees which are in the old vineyard, for which we will pay as a special rent 11/2 artabas of fresh dates, 11/2 artabas of pressed dates, 11/2 artabas of walnut-dates, 1/2 artaba of black olives, 500 selected peaches, 15 citrons, 400 summer figs before the inundation, 500 winter figs, 4 large white fat melons (?). Moreover we will in consideration of the above wages likewise (?) plough the adjoining fruit-garden to the south of the vineyard, and will do the watering, weeding, and all the other seasonal operations, only the arrangement of reeds in it and the strewing of earth being left to you, the landlord, the rent being secured against all risks. If our undertaking is guaranteed to us, we will perform all the seasonal operations of the vineyard and fruit-garden and reed- plantation at the proper times and to your satisfaction, your agents keeping a check on everything, and we will pay the special rent at the required time without delay, and at the end of the period we will deliver the objects of the lease under cultivation, well cared for by our operations, and free from rushes, weeds, and all coarse grass, you having the right of execution upon us, who are mutual securities for the payment of the rent, as is fitting. This undertaking is valid, and in answer to the formal question we have given our consent. The 6th (?) year of the Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Probus Persicus Maximus Gothicus Maximus Pius Felix Augustus, Choiak 25.

{Signed}   We, the Aurelii Ctistus and his son Ptolemaeus and Peloius, have undertaken under a lease all the vine-tending operations on promise of the above wages, and we will pay the special rent as aforesaid, and in answer to the formal question we have given our consent. I, Tiberius Claudius Horion, have written for them, as they are illiterate.

{Endorsed}   Undertaking of Aurelius Ctistus replacing the previous one.

papyrus 19


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