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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 129792

Letter from the notary Isaac to a bishop about grain of a monastery TM 129792unbekanntEnde VI - Anfang VII

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 →

A Christian letter from Isaac, a notary, to a bishop, sent with the letter-carrier Apa Victor. After respectful greetings and requests for prayers, Isaac reports an order from an illustris to write to Probus about sending something to the harbour, and discusses 450 artabas of grain given to a monastery that he could not sell over ten months because of rot, asking for help so that the poor are not harmed.

In English machine translation

† Having found the opportunity of Apa Victor the [letter-carrier, I thought it necessary] to write and to make the [obeisance due to your] paternal holiness. Therefore through th[is letter of mine I make obeisance to] you, beseeching you to remember [my humble self always] and the one who makes obeisance to you […] [so that God through] your holy prayers may deliver [me from the impending wrath, together with] my most God-beloved father the […] [I received] from my most glorious master the il[lustris an order that] I should write to the lord Probus the […] [to send] to the harbour. But if, as is likely, […] I shall do only what is free of offence […] year the 450 artabas given to the m[onastery] […] upon me for ten months for sale, and I was not able […] from the rot and from the mice(?) […] and at present, so that he may not suffer […] [therefore I ask] both to help myself and what is free of of[fence] […] and so that I may do nothing against your wish […] knowing your good intention that [no one] […] of these same poor be harmed […] and he permitted me to release the mon[astery] […] [I write] these things, greeting your honoured f[eet.] [verso] [† To our master, the most holy of all and most pious spiritual father] with God, the bishop. † Isaac, your servant, notary.

The right half of every line is lost, so much of the wording is editorial restoration. The reading 'pontikon' is uncertain; it may refer to mice or vermin damaging the stored grain.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Lettre d'Isaac à un éveque). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.

DDbDP-text Full record →

p.gen.4.169

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · Ende VI - Anfang VII

† εὐκαιρίαν εὑρὼν Ἄπα Βίκτορος τοῦ γραμματηφόρου, ἀναγκαῖον ἡγησάμην γράψαι καὶ τὴν ἐποφειλομένην προσκύνησιν ποιήσασθαι τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ πατρικῇ ἁγιωσύνῃ. ὅθεν διὰ ταύτης μου τῆς ἐπιστολῆς προσκυνῶ ὑμᾶς παρακαλῶν ὑμᾶς μνησθῆναι τῆς πάντοτε ἐμῆς βραχύτητος καὶ τῆς προσκυνούσης ὑμᾶς τη[…