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Letter from Sotas to Athenodoros about a persea tree at Phnebis TM 23330Herakleopolites27. Apr. 15 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 letter from Sotas to his brother (or associate) Athenodoros, reporting on a trip to Poimenon, the securing of property there, and a large felled persea tree at Phnebis valued at 600 drachmas. He complains that Asklas did not send a wagon, notes the carpenters have been paid, and urges Athenodoros not to delay. Written in the Herakleopolite nome in 15 BC.

In English machine translation

[recto] Sotas to Athenodoros his brother, greeting and continual good health, as I wish. Having been torn away from you, I went off to Poimenon, and having stayed there six days, with your good fortune I have shut in everything there; only one thing I have ... (?). But my [...] has not seen it; but I myself am suffering hardship [...] so that not even in the place [...] I [...] Asklas, that he is fond of wood (?), but he [...] did not even send the wagon, saying first the things in the rent [...] (?). Know then that the large persea tree at Phnebis is lying on a platform (?); I set its breadth at 7 cubits and its length at 14 cubits. And the things in the vaulted room are lying in [...]; no one has taken them. For you have nothing of such value in the nome: 600 drachmas. Unless you come down to the greatest [...] and [...] we come down there. And others are expecting it. And the carpenters have been paid their wages in full. Therefore I write to you so that you may know. Do not delay. Farewell. Year 15, Pachon 2. [verso] To Athenodoros.

Several lines in the middle are garbled or damaged and their translation is uncertain. Persea trees were protected and valuable timber in Egypt; 'brother' may be a term of familiarity rather than kinship.

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

bgu.16.2607

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · 27. Apr. 15 v.Chr. · Herakleopolites

[r] Σώτας Ἀθηνοδώρῳ τῷ ἀδελφῶι χαίρειν καὶ διὰ παντὸς ὑγιαίνειν ὡς βούλομαι· ἀποσπασθεὶς ἀπό σου ἀπῆλθον εἰς Ποιμένων καὶ μείνας ἐκεῖ ἡμέρας ἓξ σὺν τῇ τύχῃ σου πάντα τὰ ἐκεῖ ἐγκέκλεικα· ἓν δὲ μόνον τεθάμνικα· ὁ δὲ … …αι μου οὐ τεθεώρηκεν· ἀλλὰ ἐγὼ αὐτὸς κακοπαθῶ […] η…ν ἵνα μηδὲ …