Fragment of a letter to Zenon
An expression of good wishes for the health of Zenon and one of his companions, apparently written by a young relative.
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 1214
Letter to Zenon from a nephew with wishes for his health TM 1214Kharabet el Gerza (ancient Philadelphia)mid 3rd c. B.C.
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 3 records across 3 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
Fragment of a private letter to Zenon, addressed as the writer's 'patros' (paternal uncle), from the Zenon archive at Philadelphia in the Fayum, mid 3rd century BC. The writer expresses the customary wishes for health and says they rejoiced to hear that Zenon and his companions were well and that someone had been freed (perhaps from illness).
In English machine translation
[recto]
[…] to Zenon his uncle (?), greeting. If you yourselves [and …] are as you wish, it would be well […] we continually make (?) […] I am content (?) […] released (?), and that you are in good health we rejoiced […]
[…]
Farewell […]
[verso]
[…] to Zenon.
The word 'patros' means a paternal uncle, suggesting the writer was a young relative of Zenon. The participle 'released' probably refers to recovery from illness, but the context is lost.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Fragment of letter to Zenon). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
p.cair.zen.4.59580
[r] […]Ζήνωνι τῶι πάτρωι χαίρειν. εἰ αὐτοί τε[…] […] κατὰ γνώμην ἐστίν, εὖ ἂν ἔχοι[…] […]διὰ τέλους ποιούμεθα ἀγαπῶ…[…] […]ἀπηλλαγμένον καὶ ὅτι ὑγιαίνετε ἐχάρημεν[…] […]μεν. ἔρρωσθε […] [v] […]Ζήνωνι.