A private letter from Melkalios to his father Areion, reporting that he has bought olives in connection with jars of sweet oil and asking Areion to send for them, with greetings to and from family and friends. Below the letter is a short account of wheat in artabas and measures for the months Epeiph, Thoth and Hathyr. It dates to the 2nd or 3rd century AD.
In English machine translation
Melkalios to Areion his father, greetings.
As for what you wrote to me about the jars of sweet oil, I have bought the olives and […]
So if you wish, send for them; for I do not have […] I will send them. Greet Asklepiades; Sarapion greets you, and […]etri and Trimeas.
I pray for your health.
[lower margin]
Epeiph: wheat, 1 artaba, 6 measures
Thoth: wheat, 1 artaba, 3 measures
Hathyr: wheat, 1 artaba, 1 measure
"Sweet oil" (glykelaion) was probably a sweetened or flavoured olive oil. The wheat account at the foot may have been added separately from the letter.
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 Melkalios to Areion). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.