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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 25949

Letter from Demas to Agathos Daimon about supervising farm work TM 25949OxyrhynchosEnde I - Anfang 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 letter, probably from Demas to Agathos Daimon, asking him to supervise farm work so it is not neglected and to report problems to a manager. It also concerns a settlement with a certain Herakles over containers and green fodder from a marsh, with greetings to acquaintances. From Oxyrhynchus, late 1st or early 2nd century AD.

In English machine translation

[recto] Demas (?) to Agathos Daimon his brother, greetings. Before all else I pray that you are well. As I asked you in person, so now too I write to you to keep an eye on the work in the field so that it is not neglected, and if anything is being neglected, report it to the steward (?). I have written to him to settle with your approval the matter of the emptied (?) jars with Herakles. So let him secure him as you promised me, so that when he comes at the proper time he may answer to us and not turn out worse than last year. Greet Chele…ras and instruct him about the green fodder of the marsh. Greet Demetrios the guard and his children. Farewell, brother. [verso] To Agathos Daimon, friend, from Demas, friend.

The sender's name is restored, hence uncertain. The term kathegetes (literally 'guide' or 'teacher') here seems to denote a superior or manager, and kenomata may refer to emptied jars or empty spaces.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Demas (?) to Agathodaemon). 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.oxy.55.3808

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · Ende I - Anfang II · Oxyrhynchos

[r] Δημᾶς Ἀγαθῷ Δαίμωνι τῷ ἀδελφῷ χαίρειν. πρὸ τῶν ὅλων ἐρρῶσθαί σε εὔχομαι. ὡς καὶ κατʼ ὄψιν σε ᾔτησα, καὶ νῦν σοι γράφω ἐπισχεῖν τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς ἐν ἀγρῷ ἵνα μὴ ἀμεληθῇ καὶ ἐάν τι ᾖ ἀμελούμενον, δήλωσον τῷ καθηγητῇ. ἔγραψα δὲ αὐτῷ ἵνα τὸ τῶν κενωμάτων τὸ πρὸς Ἡρακλῆν ἀπαρτίσῃ μ…