One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 140301

Letter from Longinus Apollinaris to Apollinarios about hiring out Sarapias TM 140301Krokodilo98 - 117

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 letter on an ostracon from Longinus Apollinaris to Apollinarios, asking him to send back a woman named Sarapias, or else to keep her for the month free of charge, or to hire her out and send 75 drachmas. If she is hired out at Didymoi, he urges that a trustworthy man be engaged so she is not mistreated. Found at the Roman fort of Krokodilo in the Eastern Desert, early 2nd century AD.

In English machine translation

Deliver to Apollinarios. Longinus Apollinaris to Apollinarios, my brother and lord, very many greetings and wishes for constant good health. Please, my lord brother, send me Sarapias with Tiberias (?), because I need her. If you want to keep her for yourself the whole month, keep her, and there is no charge. If you want to hire her out where you are, send me the 75 drachmas and write to me that I have her as guardian. If you have found a hiring for her at Didymoi, secure yourself thoroughly with a trustworthy man, so that they do not abuse her. If you do me some small favour, I will repay you, and I always have your authority as a brother. Write to me about your well-being. Greet Maximus and Tiberia and Sknipis and Barbara. Farewell.

Sarapias was probably a prostitute or slave woman hired out to soldiers at the desert stations; Didymoi was another fort on the Koptos-Myos Hormos road. The phrase 'with Tiberias' is uncertain and may refer to a person.

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

o.krok.2.267

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · 98 - 117 · Krokodilo

ἀπόδος Ἀπολιναρίῳ. Λονγεῖνος Ἀπολινάρις Ἀπολιναρίῳ τῷ ἀδελφῷ μου καὶ κυρίῳ πλεῖστα χαίρειν καὶ διὰ παντὸς ὑγιαίνειν· καλῶς ποιήσεις, κύρι’ ἄδελφέ μου, πέμψον μοι Σαραπιάδα μετὰ Τιβεριάτι ὅτι χρῄζω αὐτῆς· εἰ μὲν θέλεις ἀφεῖναι αὐτὴν σεαυτῷ ὅλον τὸν μῆνα, ἄφες καὶ οὐδείς ἐστι χαλκό…