Privatbrief

To my dear sister Sophrone, greetings, Dios. Above all I pray to [the lord] god that you are doing well and also that the best things in life may be yours. I am wondering why until today you did not send us a single letter, although every day there are many acquaintances who are traveling north. Yet now, please, write back to us about your and our father’s wellbeing. We are glad to be here. I will tell you everything that has happened to me in Alexandria. So, when we arrived here, we didn’t find the person whom we came looking for (but) we did find our lord the emperor visiting. He ordered that athletes be brought to the Campus and fortunately, I and the other five were selected, without the other athletes knowing. When I arrived there, I was at first paired up to do pankration and I had bad luck, as I do not know how to do pankration. So I was performing [poorly] for a long time […] falling. The god was about to […] I challenged the five to do pammachon. The emperor wanted to know whether I was [immediately] summoned to do it one man after the other. When I saw that [those who fell] were collecting dung from the contest, I challenged them for the pammachon. The prize for us was a linen tunic and hundred guilders. The [linen tunic] is inexpensive, and I received […] and I made […] debtors (?) and I got a gold coin with the money and the other five the tunic. This happened on the 2?th of Choiak. And on the 26th of the same month he held the festival in the Lageion and we performed there. And I got a silver prize, a sleeveless tunic, and the money. So don’t be sad that we haven’t found the person, for good fortune has given us other things. Take care of your sister […] God willing, we will come to meet you after Mecheir, making you happy. Your […] sends you many greetings. I greet my dear father and all who love my soul. I pray that you are well, my dear sister, for many years. Deliver to my sister Sophronion, in D… For there (?) is the house. From her brother Dios. To Sophrone from her brother Dios.