One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 129774
Letter from Menas to Senouthios asking for the release of a vinedresser TM 129774Hermopolites
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 3 records across 2 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
A letter from Menas, a lawyer (scholastikos), to Senouthios, an estate administrator (anystes), in the Hermopolite nome. Menas complains that impious men and village headmen seized a vinedresser connected with his letter-carrier, and asks Senouthios to make them aware of the attitude of high officials and force them to release the man.
In English machine translation
[recto]
† God knows I am ashamed if I write to you […] in the locality, especially by the impious men from Lenaiou (?) […] and the village headmen. For leaving everyone else alone, they went up and seized the man of the letter-carrier, the vinedresser. It is therefore for your illustrious genuineness to make them know the intention of the most admired chartularius and of the most glorious illustris towards me, so that this very counsel may suffice for them, and to compel them utterly in every way to act and to release the man of my vinedresser. But if it is burdensome to you to accept my request, write to me, and I shall ask the most admired chartularius and, if need arises, the most glorious illustris. †
[verso]
† To the in all respects most splendid and worthy of honour Senouthios, anystes, † Menas, scholastikos †
Chartularius and illustris are Byzantine official titles with no exact English equivalent; anystes was an agent who carried out business, here probably for an estate. The place name Lenaiou is restored and uncertain.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Menas scholastikos a Senouthios anystes. Per la liberazione di un contadino). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
cpr.36.32
[r] † οἶδεν ὁ θεὸς αἰσχύνομαι εἴ σοι γράφω […]ι κατὰ τόπον μάλιστα παρὰ τῶν ἀνοσίων ἀπὸ Ληναίου […] καὶ πρωτοκωμητῶν. πάντας γὰρ ἐάσαντες ἀνῆλθαν καὶ ἐκράτησαν ἄνθρωπον τοῦ γραμματηφόρου ἀμπελουργοῦ. τῆς οὖν λαμπρᾶς σου γνησιότητός ἐστιν ποιῆσαι αὐτοὺς γνῶναι τὸν σκοπὸν τοῦ περιβ…