Ammon’s Certification to the Catholicus

Abstract

Despite the contract which has been negotiated between Ammon and Eugeneios in Panopolis and which provided for a division of the slaves, Ammon has received a summons to appear before the court of the catholicus Flavius Sisinnius, named here for the first time in the papyri. He arrives in Alexandria just before the expiration of the appointed twenty-day interval (beginning 27 Hathyr = 23 xi 348) on 11 Choiak (7 xii 348) and for two days searches in vain to make contact with Eugeneios. In order to establish that Eugeneios can offer no pretext at the expiration of the interval, Ammon draws up this document for presentation to the catholicus through a public notary (ταβοελάριος). On such notifications for the purpose of protecting one’s rights see Mitt. Grundz. pp.33f and Meyer, Jur.Pap. p.314. A parallel to our text is P .Ant. II 88 (probably A.D. 221)¹ and the affidavit addressed to the Idios Logos, Mitt. Chr. 68 (A.D. 14), in which the parties likewise charged in an informer case (the Nestnephis case) declare their presence at the conventus in Alexandria. On unexcused failure to appear at a court-appointed date see A. Steinwenter, Studien zum römischen Versäumnisverfahren (Munich 1914) pp.73–91. On assessment of a fine for unexcused absence cf. P. Flor. I 6.24.