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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 21126

Letter from Psois to the anchorite Apa John seeking release from conscription TM 21126Lykopolis

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 letter from Psois, a crippled man from the village of Pouchis in the Antaiopolite nome, to the anchorite Apa John, asking him to write to the authorities so that he may be released from military conscription. Psois complains that he has paid 8 gold solidi to obtain release, has had to pledge his children to a moneylender, and is physically unfit for service.

In English machine translation

[recto] To my beloved master Apa John. I give thanks to God and to you for the help given me by you and by God; for all souls live (?) for you because of your piety towards the Almighty. Now therefore help me: write one letter to Psois from Taeto (?), from the tribunes, so that I may be released, if I am not to be released (otherwise). For already the son of Psois has demanded of me 7 gold solidi, and his assistant another 1 gold solidus; for you received (it) from me so that I might be released, and they did not release me. I beseech God that you either release me or hand over to me the 8 gold solidi. For I am Psois the cripple, from the village of Pouchis in the Antaiopolite nome. Now therefore do not neglect (this), master, for God's sake. For already you (?) have given my children as pledges to the moneylender because of the gold. And I am never to serve as a soldier, being unfit, since I have a full sore (?) beside my finger, and it has not festered (?), nor am I sealed (branded). [verso] Deliver to the master, the anchorite John.

The text is in very irregular Greek, so several phrases, especially the description of his physical defect, are uncertain. Being 'sealed' refers to the branding or marking of recruits.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letter from Psois to Apa John). 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.herm.7

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

[r] τῷ δεσπότῃ μου ἀγαπητῷ Ἄπα Ἰωάννῃ. εὐχαριστῶ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ τῷ περὶ σοῦ βοηθήσοντί μοι ὑπὸ σοῦ καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ· πᾶσαι γὰρ ψυχαί ἔζων σοι διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν πρὸς τὸν παντοκράτορα. νῦν οὖν βοήθησόν μοι· γράψον μίαν ἐπιστολὴν πρὸς Ψόϊδα ἀπὸ Ταετὼ ἀπὸ τριβούνων, ἵνα ἀπολύωμαι εἰ μὴ ἀ…