Private Letter
Letter sent by Paniskos to his wife Ploutogenia, probably written by a Christian scribe
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 21346
Letter from Paniskos to his wife asking her to come and bring his weapons TM 21346Koptos, Coptite nome, province of Egyptca. 296-297 A.D. (June 16)
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 3 records across 3 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
A private letter from Paniskos, apparently serving with soldiers at Koptos, to his wife (Ploutogenia) and daughter, urging her for the second time to join him and to bring his new armour, helmet, lances and tent fittings. He also mentions money sent via Antoninus and sends greetings to family.
In English machine translation
[recto]
Paniskos to his wife and his daughter, many greetings.
Before all else I pray that I may receive you back in good health together with my daughter, before the lord god. This is already the second letter I am writing to you asking you to come to me, and you have not come. So if you do not wish to come, write back to me. Bring me my new armour and the helmet and the five small lances and the parts of the tent. And you wrote to me that 'I sent […] to […]naiskos […]'
[…]
[… ? lines lost …]
and I gave a talent to Antoninus so that he may pay it to you. So do not neglect […] so […] of the soldiers and […]. So if you have tools, bring them and cut (them) here.
I greet my daughter warmly and your mother and those who love us, each by name.
I pray for your health.
Pauni 22.
And you wrote to me that you had taken 23 pieces of armour; Tammon (has) none of them. Temnas stayed downriver.
I greet you all.
[verso]
Deliver to my wife from Paniskos, in the Par[…]
Part of the Paniskos archive, written around the revolt of Domitius Domitianus; the wife's name Ploutogenia comes from related letters, not this text. The phrase 'the lord god' has suggested a Christian scribe to some, though this is uncertain.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letter of Paniskos to Ploutogenia). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
p.mich.3.216
[r] Πανίσκος τῇ συμβίῳ καὶ τῇ θυγατρὶ πολλὰ χαίρειν. πρὸ μὲν πάντων εὔχομαί σε ὁλόκληρόν ἀπολαβεῖν μετὰ τῆς θυγατρός μου παρὰ τῷ κυρίῳ θεῷ. ἤδη δευτέραν σοι ἐπιστολὴν γράφω ἵνα ἔλθῃς πρὸς ἐμέ, καὶ οὐκ ἦλθας. εἰ οὖν οὐ θέλεις ἐλθεῖν ἀντίγραψόν μοι. ἔνεγκόν μου τὸ ὅπλον τὸ καινὸνκα…