DONATIO MORTIS CAUSA
   
Donation in contemplation of death
     
( December 30, AD 47 or December 29, AD 61 )
 

 
P. Mich. XVIII, 785 a (
Duke Data Bank of Documentary Papyri ).
  

 
[ἔτους ὀγδόου Τιβερίου Κλαυδίου] Κ̣α̣ί̣σ̣α̣ρος Σεβα̣[στοῦ] Γερμανικοῦ Αὐτοκράτορος μηνὸς Δύσ̣[τρου] γ Τῦβι γ ἐν Πτολεμαίδ(ι) | [Εὐεργ(έτιδι) τοῦ Ἀρσινοίτου νομοῦ. ὁμολογ]ε̣ῖ Τιθουῆς π[ρεσ]β̣ύτερος Πεταῦτος ὡ(ς) (ἐτῶν) τεσσεράκοντα [τρι]ῶ̣ν̣ [ο]ὐ̣(λὴ) ἀ̣ντικνημίωι δεξιῶι | [μεμερικέναι μετὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τελευτὴν] τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ τ̣έ̣κ̣νοις Πεταῦτι καὶ Θαήσει καὶ Ταμύσθᾳ το[ῖς τρισ]ὶ γεγονόσι αὐτῶι | [ἐξ ἧς συνέστι γυναικὸς Ταπετσίρεως τῆς Πν]ε̣φερῶτος καὶ αὐτῇ Ταπετσίρει, τῶι μὲν ἀρρένωι υἱῶι Πεταῦτ̣ι̣ τ̣ὸ̣ν ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῶι | [τῶι ὁμολογοῦντι Τιθουεῖ ἐν κώμῃ Καρανίδι πατρ]ικὸ̣ν̣ κ̣λ̣ῆ̣ρ̣ο̣ν κατοικικ̣ὸν ἀρούρης μιᾶς ἡμίσους ἀπὸ ἀρ(ουρῶν) τ[ριῶν κοι]νῶν καὶ ἀδιαιρέτων | [πρὸς τὸν τοῦ ὁμολ(ογοῦντος) ἀδελ(φὸν) Τιθουῆν ἐν μιᾷ σφραγῖ]δι χ̣ω̣ρ̣ὶς ἐπιβολῆς κώμης, τῶι δ αὐτῶι υἱῶι Π̣ε̣τ̣α̣ῦ̣τι καὶ τὸ ὑπάρχον αὐτῶι | [τῶι ὁμολ(ογοῦντι) (ἥμισυ) μέρος κοινὸν καὶ ἀδιαίρετον πατρι]κ̣ῆς οἰκίας καὶ τὸ ὑπάρχον τῶι αὐτῶι ὁμολογοῦντι ἐν Κα̣ρ[α]ν̣ί̣[δι] μ̣ητρικῶν ἥμισυ | [μέρος κοινὸν καὶ ἀδιαίρετον πρὸς τὸν τοῦ ὁμο]λογο(ῦντος) ἀδελφὸν Τιθοῆν, τῶι δ αὐτῶι υἱῶι Πεταῦτι κ̣αὶ ἀπ̣ὸ̣ τ̣ῶ̣ν̣ ὑπαρχόντων | [αὐτῶι τῶι ὁμολ(ογοῦντι) Τιθουεῖ κτηνῶν ὄνον θήλειαν] καὶ τὴν ἐπακολουθοῦσαν πῶλον θήλειαν, τῶι δ αὐτ̣ῶ̣ι̣ υ̣ἱ̣ῶι Πεταῦτι καὶ ταῖς | [θυγατράσι κοινῶς ἐξ ἴσου ἑκάστωι κατὰ τὸ] τρίτον μέρος τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῶι τῶι ὁμολογοῦντι [ἀγ]ελικὰ πρόβα̣τα | [σύμμικτα ἀριθμῶι καὶ τοὺς ἐπακολουθ]οῦντας ἄρν́α̣ς̣ καὶ ἐρίφους· τῆι δὲ προγεγραμμένηι το̣ῦ̣ ὁ̣μ̣ο̣λ̣ο̣γοῦντος γυ̣ναικὶ | [ἔχειν τὴν τῆς προγεγραμ(μένης) οἰκίας ἐνοίκησιν καὶ ἃ] ἐὰν καταλείπῃ σ̣κευάρια καὶ ἐπίπλοα καὶ ἐνοφειλόμεν[α] αὐτῶι καθ ὃ δή-|[ποτε οὖν τρόπον ἐξέσται καὶ τὰ περιγενόμ]ε̣να ὧν γεωρ̣γ̣ε̣ῖ ὁ ὁμολογῶν   κατοικικῶν   ἐδαφῶν   ἐ̣κ̣   [τοῦ]   ἐνεστῶτος | [η   (ἔτους)·   ἀντὶ   τῶν   ἐξακολουθούντων περιγε]ν̣ο̣μ̣ένω̣ν̣ ἡ γυνή Ταπετσῖρις ποιήσεται τὴν διόρθωσιν [ὧν] ὀφείλει ὁ ὁμ̣ολογῶν | [ὀφειλημάτων παντοίων - ca. ? - ]..σ̣αν τὴν̣ τ̣ο̣ύτ̣ω̣ν̣ καρπείαν· τὰ γενήματα καὶ πρόσφορα τῶ̣ν̣ μ̣ε̣μερισμένων   τοῖς | [τέκνοις - ca. ? - ]κ̣ε̣   Πεταῦς   ἃ   καὶ   παραδώσει   ἡ   Ταπετσῖρις   πενταετίαν [κα]θαρὰ ἀπὸ δημοσίων | [πάντων καὶ πάσης δαπάνης - ca. ? - ]μ̣υθ̣ω̣ς· [[οὐθὲν δὲ καταχρ̣ηματίζουσαν τῶν τοῖς τέκνοι̣[ς] μ̣εμε̣ρισμένων]] | [ - ca. ? - ου]ς καὶ ἀνεκλογίστ[ο]υς οὐθὲν μέντοι ἁπλῶς ἐξαλλοτριοῦσαν ἐ̣π̣ὶ̣ κ̣αταχρηματ(ισμὸν) | [ - ca. ? - ]χο̣ι̣ς εὐδοκεῖν. Ταπετσῖρις Πνεφερῶ(τος)   ὡ(ς)   (ἐτῶν)   μα̣   οὐ(λὴ)   π̣ή̣χ(ει)   δεξιῶι   μ̣ε̣τ̣ὰ   κυρίου   τ̣ο̣ῦ̣ ἀδελφοῦ̣ | [ - ca. ? - ὡ(ς) (ἐτῶν) - ca. ? - οὐ(λὴ) - ca. ? - δεξ]ιῶι καὶ Ἀφ[ρο]δ[ί]σιο̣ς̣ ὡ̣(ς) (ἐτῶν(?)) ν̣ε̣ οὐ(λὴ) ἀντικ(νημίωι) δεξιῶι. vac. | [(ἔτους) η Τιβερίου Κλαυδίου Καίσαρος Σεβαστοῦ] Γερμανικοῦ Αὐτ̣ο̣κ̣ράτορος Τῦβι γ. ἀναγέγραπ(ται) διὰ τοῦ ἐν Π̣τ̣[ολεμαί]δ̣ι̣ Ε̣ὐ̣(εργέτιδι) γραφείο[υ.]

 
English translation ( Advanced Papyrological Information System ).
  

 
[Year eight of . . . Claudius] Caesar Augustus Germanicus Imperator, the 3rd of the month Dystros, Tybi 3, in Ptolemais [Euergetis of the Arsinoite nome]. Tithoues the elder, son of Petaus, about forty-three(?) years old, with a scar on his right shin, [acknowledges to have divided after his death] to his own children, Petaus, Thaesis and Tamystha, all three born to him [of his wife Tapetsiris, daughter of] Pnepheros, [with whom he lives together (according to the laws)], and to Tapetsiris herself : to his male son Petaus, the [paternal] catoecic allotment of one and a half aroura out of three arourai which the acknowledging party owns jointly and undivided [with his brother, Tithoues, in one] parcel without a village impost(?), which belongs [to the acknowledging party, Tithoues, in the village of Karanis(?)] ; and to the same son Petaus also [the half share of his paternal] house which belongs to him, [the acknowledging party, jointly and undivided] and the half [share] which belongs to the same acknowledging party, in Karanis, of maternal building plots, [which the acknowledging party owns jointly and undivided with] his brother, Tithoes ; and to the same son Petaus also of the [animals] that belong [to the acknowledging party, Tithoues, a female donkey] and the accompanying female foal ; and to the same son Petaus and to his [daughters (Thaesis and Tamystha) in common and equally, to each a] third part, the [miscellaneous] sheep of the flock [with a total number of - - - and the] accompanying lambs and kids which belong to the acknowledging party ; the aforementioned wife of the acknowledging party (Tapetsiris) [will be entitled to have the right of occupation of the aforementioned house and] whatever he will leave in the way of utensils and furniture and sums due to him in any [way whatsoever and the revenues] of the parcels of catoecic land which the acknowledging party cultivates from the present [8th year on. In exchange for the resulting] revenues, his wife Tapetsiris will settle [all kinds of debt which] the acknowedging party has [in whatever way, having(?)] the usufruct of them. The products and the revenues of the goods divided to the [children will go to Tapetsiris after having been collected by(?)] Petaus, which goods Tapetsiris will hand over after a period of five years, free from [all] public charges [and every expense - - -] [[disposing of nothing of the goods divided to the children]] [and I appoint her and Aphrodisios as legal(?)] and independant (guardians), and she shall, however, alienate simply nothing on the basis of a disposal [of the goods divided to the children without(?)] the consent [of the heirs(?)]. Tapetsiris, daughter of Pnepheros, about 41 years old, with a scar on her right forearm, with as guardian her brother [- - - about . . . years old, with a scar on his] right [. . .], and Aphrodisios, about 55(?) years old, with a scar on his right shin. ; [Year 8 of . . . Claudius Caesar Augustus] Germanicus Imperator, Tybi 3. Registered through the record-office in Ptolemais Euergetis
 

 
►  Bibliography
 
 
Römer & Gagos, Michigan Texts Published in Honor of Ludwig Koenen, Amsterdam, 1996, n. 785 a ; Sandberg, Magistrates and assemblies : A study of legislative practice in republican Rome, Roma, 2001, p. 239 ;
Setälä et al., Women, wealth and power in the Roman empire, Roma, 2002, p. 219 ; Anagnostou-Canas, XIVth Symposium of the Society for Greek and Hellenistic Legal History (Rauischholzhausen, 2003), Wien, 2006, pp. 323-340.
 
 
►  Source : Papyrus from Ptolemais Euergetis.