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Letter from Maximus to his sister Serapias about neglect, a piglet and an axe TM 24150Mons Claudianusca. 110

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 on a potsherd from Maximus to his sister Serapias, complaining that she and his brother Valerius Longus have neglected him and not written. He reports that Palmas has gone to Kampe, promises to send a piglet, and asks her to send him a small axe; written at the Mons Claudianus quarry around AD 110.

In English machine translation

Maximus to Serapias, his sister and lady, very many greetings. I know of myself that I did you no wrong, nor did I hate what you so quickly hated in me (?). So I do not blame Valerius Longus, my brother, if he himself has been negligent and looks down on me, his brother. But you, you ought to have said to him: "Write an ostracon to your brother." But let those with you say […] so that I may thank you from the heart. Palmas has gone off to Kampe; he has been away 4 days. About the piglet, do not worry, lady; I am sending it to you. Send me the little axe. Greet my brother. Farewell.

"Sister" and "brother" may be affectionate terms rather than literal kinship. Kampe was a station near the quarries; one line is too damaged to read.

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 Maximus to Serapias, his Sister). 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 →

o.claud.1.138

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · ca. 110 · Mons Claudianus

Μάξιμος Σεραπειάδει τῇ ἀδελφῇ κυρίᾳ πλεῖστα χαίρειν. οἶδα ἐμαυτὸν ὅτι οὐδὲν κακόν σοι ἐποίησα οὐδὲ ἐμίσησα ἅ μοι ταχέως ἐμίσησας. οὐδὲν οὖν μέμφομαι Οὐαλέριν Λόγγον τὸν ἀδελφόν μου εἰ αὐτὸς ἠμέλησεν καὶ καταφρονεῖ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ. σὺ δέ, ἔδει σε αὐτῷ εἰπεῖν· γράψον ὄστρακο…