Private Letter
Letter from Longinus Clemens to Ptolemaios, concerning business arrangements
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 27099
Letter from the veteran Longinus Clemens to Ptolemaios about grain and farm work TM 27099unknown place (Alexandria?), province of EgyptIInd century A.D.
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 3 records across 3 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
A private letter from Longinus Clemens, an army veteran, to Ptolemaios, whom he calls his brother, about his affairs. He complains that Apolinaris paid him only 500 drachmas and asks Ptolemaios to send his grain from the last two years, store everything in his house before his arrival, and supervise the farm work carefully.
In English machine translation
[recto]
Longinus to Ptolemaios his brother, many greetings.
Before all else I pray that you are well, and I make obeisance for you before the lord Sarapis. Know that Apolinaris has given me only the 500 drachmas. Since […] you had written, you will do well, then, to send my grain along with the […] remaining from last year and their difference (?), and that of the year before last with their difference. Do not delay the harvest; again the increase […] benefit (?) […] so that I too may be treated kindly. From his own […] apart from me, when I too had need of more than the price […]. So you will shut it all up in my house, so that when I arrive, god willing, I may find it all together. [Attend to (?)] the work carefully, and let everything be done as you promised me, and inspect carefully the work of the […] […] to Kapiton, so that […]
[…]
[… lines lost …]
[verso]
Deliver to Ptolemaios.
From Longinus Clemens, veteran.
Provenance is unknown; one record tentatively suggests Alexandria. 'Brother' may be a term of affection rather than kinship, and the 'difference' (diaphoron) probably refers to a price difference or surplus on the grain.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Longinus Clemens to Ptolemaeus). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
p.mich.8.489
[r] Λογγεῖνος Πτολεμαίωι τῶι ἀδελφῶι πολλὰ χαίρειν. πρὸ μὲν πάντων εὔχομαί σε ὑγιαίνειν καὶ τὸ προσκύνημά σου ποιῶ παρὰ τῷ κυρίῳ Σαράπιδι. γίνωσκε Ἀπολιναριν μὴ δεδωκέναι μοι εἰ μὴ μόνας τὰς δραχμὰς φ. ἐπεὶ δ…[…]αλω[…]… ἐγεγραφήκεις, καλῶς οὖν ποιήσεις τὰ σιτάριά μου πέμψας σὺν τ…