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 →
Opening of a private letter on an ostracon from Herakleides to his 'brother' Kephalas, found at the Roman fort of Didymoi in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Herakleides answers Kephalas's complaint that he neglects him, explaining that he wrote to Nemesas, who has not yet replied; the rest is lost.
The proskynema is a customary report of prayer offered on the addressee's behalf before a deity, here Aphrodite. 'Brother' and 'lord' may be terms of courtesy rather than literal kinship.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letters not Attached to a Group). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
Ἡρακλείδης Κεφαλᾶτι τῶι ἀδελφῷ πλεῖστα χαίρειν καὶ διὰ παντὸς ὑγιαίνειν. τὸ προσκύνημά σου ποιῶ παρὰ τῇ Ἀφροδίτῃ. λοιδορεῖς ὅτι ἀμελῶ σου, κύριέ μου · ἔγραψα γὰρ Νεμεσᾶτι καὶ αὐτὸς οὔπω ἀντέγραψέν μοι ε…[…] […]… τὰ γενάμενα […]…[…] [… ? lines lost …]
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