o.claud.4.824
Λεοντᾶς Ἐπαφροδείτῳ χαίρειν. καλῶς ποιήσεις πέμψας μοι ἀκίσκλους ἕξ, ἵνα ἔχω διαδοχὴν τῶν ἀκίσκλων, ἐπεὶ χαλκέα οὐκ ἔχω, καὶ σιδήρια λαξικὰ β, καὶ ἀσκὸν παλαιὸν εἰς ὀκρεας τοῖς ἀκισκλαρίοις. ἔρρωσο
One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 118476
Letter from Leontas to Epaphroditos requesting picks and tools TM 118476Mons Claudianus
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 2 records across 2 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
An ostracon letter from Leontas to Epaphroditos at the Roman quarry of Mons Claudianus in Egypt's Eastern Desert. He asks for 6 picks as replacements because he has no smith, for 2 stone-cutting iron tools, and for an old leather bag to be cut into leggings for the pick-workers.
In English machine translation
Leontas to Epaphroditos, greetings.
Please send me 6 akisklos-picks, so that I may have replacements for the picks, since I have no smith, and 2 stone-cutting iron tools, and an old leather bag for leggings (?) for the pick-workers.
Farewell.
The akisklos (Latin acisculus) was a small pick or hammer used by stonecutters, and the akisklarioi were the workers who used it. The word read as 'ocreas' is probably the Latin ocreae, protective leggings, written in Greek letters.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letter from Leontas to Epaphroditus). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.