Private Letter
Letter from Tabetheus to her brother Tiberianus, explaining how her son Satornilus (who subsequently became ill) came to be guilty of a murder, and asking Tiberianus to effect a settlement of the claims resulting from the murder
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 27086
Letter from Tabetheus to her brother Claudius Tiberianus about her son TM 27086Alexandria (?)(Early) IInd century A.D.
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 4 records across 3 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
A private letter from Tabetheus to her brother Claudius Tiberianus, early 2nd century AD, probably from Alexandria. In confused language she describes troubles involving her son Satornilos, apparently a killing, heavy losses of 1,200 drachmas, his illness and refusal to leave Alexandria, and she asks her brother's help in settling matters.
In English machine translation
[recto]
Tabetheus to Claudius Tiberianus her brother, very many greetings.
Before all else I pray that you are well, and I make your obeisance before the lord Souchos.
I rejoiced that you sent my son to me so that I might greet him,
but you did not […] him to a man. For Satornilos has not found what I did for him. We bought 3 minas of linen
and I sent them. Do not blame me if you did not provide
for Metellus the soldier. I want you to write about a friend; perhaps
you (pl.) may provide for him. I was much grieved. I could have sent you the dinner outfit this year; I did not send it
because of last year, but I sent it and we sold them to Kabis
the deacon (?). Coming down from Tonis from our home, entering the guest-lodging of Satornilos, seeing our
unharmed (children), I did not consent to entrust my son himself
to Menas. And having committed murder, he said
to me not to trouble myself; I told Satornilos that I could not sleep for worry. Since you have cost me 1,200 drachmas, let them go as a ransom for my son.
And I went down to Alexandria with my son.
On this account madness has seized him, since he did not consent to eat the monthly allowance with those from him.
If god wills and you receive the monthly allowance which I have made for you,
do not […] them. And you too. Concerning last year's things I have not
done […] he did last year. I left them
in Alexandria until the second sailing up. And
he fell ill. I was distressed, grieved by him; I rejoiced altogether
that he lived. We pressed him, urging him
to sail up from Alexandria, and he says to us, "I do not want to."
We give thanks to the gods that he is like you;
no one can mock him. Greet all
those with you by name. How much I lost last year because of
Satornilos, neither did he owe them nor I, but I lost everything. Farewell.
[verso]
Deliver […] to Tiberianus from Tabetheus.
The Greek is ungrammatical and the sequence of events, including who committed the murder, is uncertain; 'peripsema' denotes a ransom or expiatory offering. Proskynema is the formula of commending someone to a god, here Souchos.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Tabetheus to Tiberianus). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
Letter from Tabetheus to her brother
Letter from Tabetheus to her brother Tiberianus, explaining how her son Satornilus came to be guilty of a murder, and asking Tiberianus to effect a settlement of the claims resulting from the murder
p.mich.8.473
[r] Ταβεθεῦς Κλαυδίῳ Τιβεριανῶι τῷ ἀδελφῶι πλεῖστα χαίρειν. πρὸ μὲν πάντων εὔχομαί σε ὑγιαίνειν καὶ τὸ προσκύνημά σου ποιῶ παρὰ τῷ κυρίῳ Σούχῳ. ἐχάρην πῶς ἔπεμψάς μου τὸν υἱον ἕως αὐτὸν προσκυνήσω, ἀλλὰ οὐκ ε[…]…[…]κας αὐτὸν ἀνθρώπῳ. οὐχ εὕρηκε γὰρ Σατορνεῖλος ἅ πεποίηκα αὐτῷ. ἠγ…