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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 20441

Letter to a friend recommending an agent sent to collect rents at Takona TM 20441Alexandria (?)4. Okt. 2 v.Chr.

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 business letter, partly lost at the start, asking a friend to help the bearer, who has been sent to Takona to collect rents with full authority. The writer mentions a loss of copper money by Helenos, a trip to Alexandria to Epaphroditos with Damas, and an unmade meeting with Apollonios. It is dated 4 October 2 BC under Augustus.

In English machine translation

[Column 1] [… 16 lines lost …] […] and I want you also to read (?) the [letter (?)] of Caesar's […], for you must [Column 2] even if I had business with others, become his helper because of the friendship we have for one another. For I am entirely distressed that Helenos has lost copper money; for when Damas arrived we went to Alexandria to Epaphroditos, and it was found that he had neither received nor paid out anything. So I want you to know this, that I had given him instructions to go to Takona on account of the rents, and now I have sent him to collect everything, and I have given him authority over everything. In whatever matters he may need you, stand by him, as he will give account on your behalf just as on mine. Because I was distracted I was unable to meet Apollonios the Libyan (?) so as to point out these very things to him. And you too, write to me about whatever you wish and I will do it without hesitation, for Damas has accounted to me for everything. It is good that he came quickly, for he will explain to you. Take care of yourself so that you stay well. Look after all your people. Farewell. Year 29 of Caesar, Phaophi 6.

The letter was found at Oxyrhynchus but may have been written in Alexandria. 'Tou Libikou' may be an epithet ('the Libyan') or a family name; the agent's name is lost in the damaged opening.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letter to a Friend). 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 →

p.oxy.4.743

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · 4. Okt. 2 v.Chr. · Alexandria (?)

[1] [… 16 lines lost …] […] θέλω δέ σε καὶ τὸν Καίσαρος […] ἀναγνοῦναι, δεῖ γάρ σε [2] εἰ καὶ πρὸς ἄλλους εἶχον πρᾶγμα βοηθὸν αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι διὰ ἣν ἔχομεν πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς φιλίαν. καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ὅλως διαπονοῦμαι εἰ Ἕλενος χαλκοὺς ἀπώλεσεν, παραγενομένου γὰρ Δαμᾶτος εἰς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν ἤλθα…