o.did.442
Ὀκτάουιος Ῥουτειλίῳ χαίρειν. ὡς ἐνετείλου μοι περὶ τῆς τραπέζης ἀπέστειλά σοι αὐτὴν διὰ τοῦ ὀνηλάτου καὶ τὸ προσκύνημά σου ποιῶ παρὰ τῇ Ἀφροδίτῃ. ἐάν σοι ἐμπέσῃ ταρίχιον πέμψον μοι τῆς τιμῆς. οἶδα ὅτι πολλά σοι ἐπιβαρεῖ. ἔρρωσο.
One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 145003
Letter from Octavius to Rutilius about a table and salted fish TM 145003Didymoi
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 Octavius to Rutilius, found at the Roman fort of Didymoi in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Octavius reports sending a table by a donkey-driver, says he prays for Rutilius before Aphrodite, and asks him to send salted fish if he comes across any.
In English machine translation
Octavius to Rutilius, greetings.
As you instructed me about the table, I have sent it to you by the donkey-driver, and I make your obeisance before Aphrodite.
If salted fish comes your way, send me some at the price.
I know that many things weigh on you.
Farewell.
The proskynema formula is a conventional greeting in which the writer says he makes an act of worship on the recipient's behalf before a deity. "Send me some at the price" renders a compressed phrase that probably means "send me (some) for the cost", that is, buy it and he will pay.
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.