CONVENTIO NUPTIALIS
   
Marriage contract of Chrysermos and Dionysia
     
( AD 2nd-3rd century )
 

 
P. Col. VIII, 227 ( Duke Data Bank of Documentary Papyri ).
  

 
vac. θ vac. | [δο]θῆναι [ὑ]πὸ τῆς μητρὸς Κυρίλλης ἀργ(υρίου) (δραχμὰς) 1000 [ .............. ] | προσέσται τῇ συνγραφῇ εἰς δουλείαν ἀμ?φ[οτέρων ἐπὶ τὸν σὺν] | [ἀλ]λ?ήλοις χρόνον, ἐξ ὧν ἔσχεν ἐντεῦθεν [διὰ χειρὸς ἀργ(υρίου) (δραχμὰς) 332] | [τ]ὰς δὲ λοιπὰς ἀποδοθ?ῆ?ν?α?ι? ὑπ?ὸ? τ?ῆ?ς? Κ?[υρίλλης .......] | [ἐ]πάναγκον ἕως Μεσορὴ 30 τοῦ ἐνεστῶ?[τος .. (ἔτους) Ϝαξ. ] | [το]ῦ? κυρίου ἀργ(υρίου) (δραχμὰς) 668. τοῦ δὲ Χρυσέρμου α[ .............. ] | [..]. δούλης ἃς ἔσχεν ἀργ(υρίου) (δραχμὰς) 332 τὰ δεό[ντα καὶ τὸν ἱματις]-|[μὸ]ν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἑξῆς παρεχέτω ὁ Χρύσε?ρμ?[ος τῇ Διονυσίᾳ ἐκ] | [τῶ]ν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ ἐξέστω αὐ?[τῷ ἄλλην γυναῖκα ἐπ]-|[ει]σάγειν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὴν μήτε ὑβρίζειν? α?[ὐτὴν ..... τρόπῳ] | [μη]δενί. ἐὰν δέ τι τούτων ἐπιδειχθῇ πο[ιῶν ὁ Χρύσερμος ἢ] | [ἐκ]βάλλῃ τὴν Διονυσίαν, ἀποδότω αὐτῇ  [ .............. ]  |  [..]ν  καὶ  ξενίων  ἀργ(υρίου)  (δραχμὰς)  1860  καὶ  τὰς  τοῦ  ἀπο[........ ἀρούρας]  | [κα]θ?αρὰς ἀπὸ τελεσμάτων δημοσίων ὧν [ ............... ] | Traces 1 line | [..]δ.ν.. οἷς ἐὰν γεννήσῃ τέκνοις .[ ............... ] | [ἀπ]αλλάσσεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ Χρυσέρμου ἀποδό?τ?[ω ............... ] | [πρό]κιτα?[ι] ἔξω  μ?όνων  τῶν?  τῆς  ἐπιγραφῆ?ς?  [ ............... ]  |  [ἀμ]φοτέρους .....η.θ..μεν  ἡ  Διονυ[σία ............ ] | [..]τ?ω?ν ἐ?ξ ἀλ?λήλων ἔσται πάντα τὰ προκ[είμενα .........] | [..]....ς καὶ ουχει ἡ Διο?νυ?σί?α ἐξ ἑτέρου α[ ............... ] | [ἐξ ἴ]σου μέ?ρ?ου?ς. ἐὰν δὲ τὰ ἐξ ἀλλήλων τέκ[να τελευτήσῃ] | [πρ]ὶ?ν ἢ γέ?νηται τῆς ἐννόμου?  ἡλικίας  ..[ ............... ]  |  [ἐὰν]  δὲ? καὶ ὁ Ἑρμίας προτερήσῃ ὁμοίως ε[ ............... ] | [..].... ἐὰν δ?ὲ  οἱ  πάν[τ]ε?[ς]  .οι..[ ............... ]  |  [τῆ]ς?  ἐ?ν[ν]ό?μου ἡλικίας ε?ἶ?ναι τὰ πάντα [.......... ἐὰν δὲ] | [ἡ] Δ?ιονυ[ς]ία  [ἄτεκνος]  καὶ  ἀ?διάθετος  τελευτήσῃ  [ .............. ]  |  [ .............. μηδ]ὲν  ἕτερον  τῶν  τῆς Δι?[ονυσίας ........] | [τὰ διὰ τῆσδε τῆς συγγ]ραφῆς δηλούμενα καθ[ .............. ]

 
English translation ( Advanced Papyrological Information System ).
  

 
. . . to have received from (her?) mother Kyrilla 1000 dr. of silver . . . to the contract for the dominion of both parties [for the] time they are with each other, out of which henceforth [by hand] he has received [332 dr. of silver], and the remaining 668 dr. of silver to be delivered by Kyrilla (?) . . . of necessity by Mesore 30 of the present [..] year [of - - - ] the lord. When Chrysermos . . . the 332 drachmas which he has received, Chrysermos is to furnish [to Dionysia] her necessities and clothing and the other things in turn, from his property. And he is not to be allowed to introduce [another wife] in addition to her, - - - nor to outrage her in any [way]. If [Chrysermos] is shown to be doing any of these things [or] expels Dionysia, he shall give her . . . and 1,860 dr. of silver of gifts . . . and the . . . [arouras] free of public taxes . . . to the children whom she may bear . . . to separate from Chrysermos, let him give back . . . as aforesaid, except only those of the epigraphe . . . from one another, all of the aforementioned shall be . . . . . Dionysia from another . . . on an equal basis. But if their children from one another [die] before they reach legal age . . . but [if] Hermias precedes, likewise . . . but if all . . . of legal age, everything is to . . . [But if] Dionysia dies [childless] and intestate . . . nothing else of the property of Dionysia . . . [the things] written [through this] contract . . .
 

 
►  Bibliography
 
 
P. Col. VIII, 227 (1990) ; Yiftach, ZPE, 115, 1997, p. 179.
 
 
►  Source : Papyrus published in 1990.