The Roman Army, 31 BC–AD 337: A Sourcebook
The Roman Army, 31 BC–AD 337: A Sourcebook
The Roman Army, 31 BC–AD 337: A Sourcebook
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<strong>The</strong> army, the local community, the law 173<br />
also called Capareis, shepherds, about damages they owed to me because<br />
of their flocks grazing over my land, they gave me a severe beating and<br />
abusively stated that they would not pay. And I lost forty silver drachmae<br />
which I had with me from the sale of opium, and a belt. <strong>The</strong>refore I ask<br />
that I may receive redress so that the state should suffer no loss. Farewell.<br />
288 P. Mich. 175=Daris, Documenti 77, papyrus, Socnopaiou Nesos,<br />
AD 193<br />
To Ammonius Paternus, centurion, from Melas, son of Horion, from<br />
the village of Socnopaiou Nesos, priest of the god who is in the village.<br />
In the same village there belongs to me and my cousins Phanesis and<br />
Harpagathes, in common and with equal shares, as an inheritance from<br />
our maternal grandfather, a vacant piece of ground, surrounded by a<br />
wall, where we deposit every year the hay which we have. <strong>The</strong>n recently<br />
one cousin, Harpagathes, died and although his share was inherited<br />
equally by both of us, yesterday, which was the twenty-second, when I<br />
was depositing our hay in this place, Phanesis attacked me boldly and<br />
insolently, took my hay, and did not allow me to deposit it in our share<br />
but tried to push me out of this and to claim for himself alone what<br />
belongs to me; in addition to this he treated me with the most disgraceful<br />
viciousness. <strong>The</strong>refore I request that you order him to be brought before<br />
you so that I may obtain the fair decision that is in your power. Farewell.<br />
(Second hand) Year 1 of Publius Helvius Pertinax Augustus, 23<br />
Pharmuthi.<br />
In a more serious case recorded in a papyrus dated 27 May AD 243, a woman,<br />
Bathsabbatha Arsinoe from the village of Magdala, probably between Resapha<br />
and the Euphrates in Syria, petitions a centurion about the murder of her brother<br />
and the appropriation of his property. A soldier from the Legion XVI Flavia<br />
Firma at Appadana and a veteran appeared before the centurion to give evidence<br />
(Feissel and Gascou, 1989:558). <strong>The</strong> involvement of a centurion in local affairs<br />
also appears in P. Yadin 11; in AD 124 a centurion in the camp at En Gedi in<br />
Judaea made a large short-term loan at 12 per cent interest to a Jew named<br />
Judah, who owned a neighbouring palm grove (Yadin 1989).<br />
289 Bowman and Thomas 1983: no. 22, tablet, c. AD 95–105<br />
[ _ _ _ ]ius Karus to his Cerialis, greetings. [ _ _ _ ] Brigionus has asked<br />
me, sir, to commend him to you. <strong>The</strong>refore I ask, sir, that if he has<br />
requested anything from you, you agree to give him your approval. I