Private Letter
Letter sent by Paniskos to his wife Ploutogenia, probably written by a Christian scribe
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 21348
Letter from Paniskos to his wife about their daughter and household affairs TM 21348Koptos, Coptite nome, province of Egyptca. 296-297 A.D.
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 to his wife (Ploutogenia), asking her to care for their daughter Heliodora and their property, to have three gold coins made into anklets for the girl, and to prepare clothing and his leather coat. It was written at Koptos around AD 297.
In English machine translation
Paniskos to his wife, many greetings.
I greet my daughter Heliodora warmly, and take care of her. I want to know whether you need anything. I have written to Aion, and if you left anything at Heliopolis, send for it. And I left the wool for you, so that if you want anything you may spend it on yourself. And take care of your property too, and have the three gold solidi made into anklets for my daughter, and get ready the materials for your tunic and your cloak. And if God wills and I come, I will put Achaos there. And get my little leather coat ready, and if they want anything, go along with them. Know then that I write to you as a brother, not as […] your […]. I pray for your health.
[margin] I greet your mother warmly, and Nonnos with his children, and Sarapion.
[verso] Deliver to my wife from Paniskos, in the house (?) of Mopsarios.
The wife's name, Ploutogenia, is known from related letters in the same archive, not from this text. 'Holokottina' are gold coins (solidi); the closing phrase 'if God wills' has been taken to suggest a Christian scribe.
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.3.218
[r,ctr] Πανίσκος τῇ συμβίῳ πολλὰ χαίρειν. ἀσπάζομαι Ἡλιοδώραν τὴν θυγατέρα μου πολλά, καὶ πρόσεχε αὐτῇ. θέλω ἰδεῖν εἰ τινος χρείαν ἔχεις. ἔγραψα Ἀϊῶνι καὶ εἰ τι ἀφήκεις εἰς Ἡλίου πόλιν πέμψον ἐπʼ αὐτά. καὶ ἀφῆκα τὰ ἐρίδια σεαυτῇ ἵνα εἰ τι θέλεις ἀνηλώσῃς σεαυτῇ. καὶ πρόσεχε καί σ…