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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 25896

Letter from Patron to his father Laches about farm work TM 25896Tebtynis (Arsinoites)1. Hälfte II

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 business letter from Patron to his father Laches about managing farm work: allowing a farmer to sow on receipt of a token or garment, a pending matter to be settled, and instructions to inspect flax on the Forty-Aroura plot and go on to Theogonis. It comes from Tebtynis in the Arsinoite nome, first half of the 2nd century AD.

In English machine translation

[recto] Patron to Laches his father, greeting. Let not a single one of the tasks in your charge be neglected; with god's help I too am coming down tomorrow. Protas, the farmer of the 5 arouras of Pelbynis, is writing the report (?). So if he brings you a token or a garment, allow him to sow. The matter of the ktamia (?) is being settled tomorrow; so tell Heron to go over there. I did not find Peneithes the farmer in Kerkesis; so go early in the morning to the Forty-Aroura plot and inspect the flax stalks, and from there go to Theogonis. I pray for your health. Hathyr 4. [verso] To Laches from Patron.

The word rendered 'ktamia' is of uncertain meaning. The 'token or garment' was presumably a pledge the farmer had to provide before being allowed to sow.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Lettera di Patron a Laches). 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.mil.vogl.2.50

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · 1. Hälfte II · Tebtynis (Arsinoites)

[r] Πάτρων Λάχῃ τῶι πατρὶ χαίρειν. τὰ ἔργα τὰ παρά σοι μηδὲ ἓν ἀμελείσθω· σὺν θεῶι καὶ ἐγὼ αὔριον κατέρχομαι. Πρωτᾶς ὁ γεωργὸς τῶν ε ἀρουρῶν τοῦ Πελβῦνις γράφει τὸ ἀναφόριον· ἐὰν οὖν σημεῖόν σοι ἐνέγκῃ ἢ στολὴν συνχώρησον αὐτῷ σπείρειν. τὸ περὶ τῶν κταμίων αὔριον ἀπαρτίζεται· εἰπ…