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Letter from Philokles to Kapparis about the sale of a girl TM 144943Didymoi

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 →

An ostracon letter from Philokles to Kapparis about a young girl (probably a slave woman) whom a third man wishes to acquire. Philokles says he is in no hurry and will accept payment in full, in part, or in monthly instalments, praising the girl as unmatched. It was found at the Roman fort of Didymoi in the Eastern Desert.

In English machine translation

[convex side] Philokles to Kapparis his brother, very many greetings. As you instructed me to write about the little girl, see, I have written to her. So if you know what he will want [...], do it. But if you know that [...] I do nothing [...] lest he [...] be angry (?). So whenever he wants to take her [...], let him take her as he wishes; and if he wants to supply me monthly with something for her [...], whatever he may persuade me to give; and if he has the whole to give, let him give [concave side] whatever he wants to give for her. You know that I am not pressed. If he has the means to pay, let him pay; if he wants to pay in part, let him give; and if he wants to set up payments to me in instalments so as to pay me in full, what he wants, I want too. You know that I also want to provide for him, because I often wanted to bring him a woman. And you know that he will not find one like her. And he writes to me for three years. It will be your concern, if you want her, how the letter [...]

The word mikka ('little one') refers to a girl, probably a slave or prostitute offered to a soldier at the fort; several passages are illegible and the translation there is tentative.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letters Sent by Philokles to Kapparis). 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.382

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

[side convex] Φιλοκλῆς Καππαρίῳ τῷ ἀδελφῷ πλεῖστα χαίρειν· καθώς μοι ἐνετείλασθε γράψαι ἐπὶ τὴν μικκάν, ἰδοὺ ἔγραψα αὐτῇ. ἐὰν οὖν σὺ οἶδας ὃ θελήσει σ…ντομ… ποίησον. εἰ δὲ οἶδας ὅτι ου…ε…ι οὐδὲν πρασσω ιν μὴ αὐτ… …ργηση. ὅτε ἂν θέλῃ οὖν …την λαβεῖν λαβέτω ὡς ἂν θέλῃ· ἂν δὲ θέλῃ χ…