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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 144905

Letter from Numerius to Longinus sending vegetables and offering to request leave TM 144905Didymoi

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 private letter on an ostracon from Numerius to his 'brother' Longinus at the Roman fort of Didymoi in the Eastern Desert. He sends bundles of vegetables and herbs (cabbage, purslane, basil, rue) with the bearer, passes on greetings from Herais and Abaskantion, and offers to request a leave pass for Longinus.

In English machine translation

Numerius to Longinus his most honoured brother, very many greetings. As you wrote to me, there […] the bronze money. Receive a bundle of cabbage, […] and of purslane and of basil and a bundle of rue from the man who is giving you the ostracon. Herais and Abaskantion greet you. If you want a leave pass (commeatus), write to me and I will ask for it for you. Farewell.

The word kommeaton renders Latin commeatus, a military leave or travel permit. 'Brother' is likely a form of address between comrades rather than a family relation.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Gaii and Longini: Longinus' Archive). 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 →

o.did.344

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · Didymoi

Νομέριος Λογγείνῳ τῷ τιμιωτάτῳ ἀδελφῷ πλεῖστα χαίρειν· καθώς μοι ἔγραψες ἐκεῖ […]ο χαλκός. δέ ξαι κράμβης δέσμην […]…ων καὶ ἀνδράχνης καὶ ὠκιμίων καὶ πηγανίου δέσμην παρὰ τοῦ τὸ ὄστρακόν σοι διδόντος. ἀσπάζεταί σε Ἡραῒς καὶ Ἀβασκαντίων. εἰ θέλεις κομμεᾶτον, γράψον μοι καὶ αἰτήσω …