CONVENTIO NUPTIALIS
   
Marriage contract or prenuptial agreement between Thermion and Apollonius
     
( April 17, 13 BC )
 

 
BGU IV, 1052, ll. 1-34 = Sel. Pap. I, 3 (
Duke Data Bank of Documentary Papyri ).
  

 
(hand 2) κόλ(λημα) | (hand 1) Πρωτάρχωι | παρὰ Θερμίου τῆς Ἀπ̣ί̣ω̣ν̣ο̣ς μετὰ κυρίου | τοῦ Ἀπολλωνίου τοῦ Χαιρέου καὶ παρὰ Ἀπολ-|λωνίου τοῦ Πτολεμαίου. συνχωροῦσιν Θέρμιον | καὶ Ἀπολλώνιος Πτολεμαίου συνεληλυ-|θέναι ἀλλήλοις πρὸς βίου κοινωνίαν, ὁ δὲ αὐ-|τὸς Ἀπολλώνιος Πτολεμαίου εἰληφέ-|ναι παρὰ τῆς Θερμίου διὰ χειρὸς ἐξ οἴ-|κου φερνάριον ἐνωτίων χρυσῶν ζεῦ-|γος τετάρτων τριῶν καὶ ἀργ(υρίου) (δραχμῶν) .. | ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν τὸν Ἀπολλώνιον Πτολεμαίου | χο[ρηγ]ε[ῖ]ν τῇ Θερμίῳ τὰ δέοντα πάντα | καὶ τὸν ἱματισμὸν ὡς γυναικὶ γαμετῇ | κατὰ [δ]ύναμιν τῶν ὑπαρχόντων καὶ μὴ | κακουχεῖν αὐτὴν μηδὲ ἐγβάλλειν μηδὲ | ὑβρίζειν μήδ᾽ ἄλλην γυναῖκα ἐπεισάγειν | ἢ ἐκτίν[ειν] παραχρῆμα τὸ φερνάριον | σὺν ἡμ[ιολίᾳ] τῆς πράξεως γινομένης | ἔκ τε [αὐτο]ῦ Ἀπολλωνίου τοῦ Πτολεμαίου | [καὶ] ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ πάν-|[των κα]θάπερ ἐκ δίκης, καὶ   τὴν   δὲ   Θέρ-|[μιον ...]τιλιν   τὰ   πρὸς   τὸν   ἄνδρα   καὶ | [τὸν   κοι]νὸν   βίον   δίκαια καὶ μήτε ἀ-|[πόκοι]τ̣ο̣ν̣   μήτε   ἀφήμερον   γίνεσθαι | [ἀπὸ   τῆ]ς   οἰκίας   ἄνευ   τῆς   Ἀπολλωνί-|[ου]   το[ῦ Π]τολεμαίου γνώμης μηδὲ φθείρειν | [μηδὲ] καταβλάπτειν τὸν κοινὸν οἶκον | [μήδ᾽ ἄλ]λῳ ἀνδρὶ συνεῖναι ἢ καὶ αὐτὴν | τούτ[ω]ν τι διαπραξαμένην κριθεῖσαν | στέρεσθαι τοῦ φερναρίου χωρὶς τοῦ | τὸν παραβαίνοντα ἐνέχεσθαι καὶ τῷ | ὡρισμένῳ προστίμωι. |
(ἔτους) ιζ Καίσαρος Φαρμοῦθι κ

 
English translation (
A. S. Hunt & C. C. Edgar, Cambridge, 1932 ).
  

 
    To : Protarchus
   From : Thermion, daughter of Apion, along with her guardian Apollonius, son of Chaereas ; and from Apollonius, son of Ptolemaeus
    Thermion and Apollonius, son of Ptolemaeus agree that they have come together to share a common life. And the said Apollonius, son of Ptolemaeus, acknowledges that he has received from Thermion by hand from the house a dowry of a pair of gold earrings weighing three quarters and [- - -] silver drachmai.
    And from now on, Apollonius, son of Ptolemaeus, shall provide Thermion as his wife all necessaries and clothing in proportion to his means and shall not mistreat her, nor throw her out, nor bring in another wife, or he shall directly forfeit the dowry increased by half with right of execution upon both the person of Apollonius, son of Ptolemaeus, and all his property as if by legal decision.
    And Thermion shall fulfill her duties towards her husband and their common life and shall not leave the house for a night or a day without the consent of Apollonius, son of Ptolemaeus, nor dishonor, nor injure their common home, nor consort with another man, or she—if guilty of any of these deeds—shall after trial, forfeit the dowry, and in addition the guilty party shall be liable to the prescribed fine.
    17h year of Caesar, Pharmouthi 20.
 

 
►  Bibliography
 
 
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►  Source : Papyrus from Alexandria.