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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 27607

Letter from Sarapodoros to his brother Phaneion about arbitration before a centurion TM 27607Philadelphia (Arsinoites)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 from Sarapodoros to his brother Phaneion, telling him that a centurion referred their dispute to arbitration involving a sword-bearer, and that Sarapodoros has stood surety until the 23rd. He urges Phaneion to come by that deadline, or else a soldier will be sent to fetch him at further expense.

In English machine translation

[recto] Sarapodoros to Phaneion his brother, greetings. I want you to know that we went off to the centurion and he put us into arbitration, to have the matter judged with a machairophoros (sword-bearer). And when the arbitrators heard from your opponents that they laid the whole affair on you, I gave surety to the sword-bearer until the 23rd, until I send for you. So please, on receiving my letter, come up by the deadline of the 23rd. But if you choose not to come up, they will send a soldier with me to you, and we will pay another travel allowance. I pray for your health. [verso] Deliver to Phaneion from Sarapodoros … son of (?) …chrates. [… 1 line lost …]

A machairophoros ('sword-bearer') was a kind of armed police or bailiff attached to officials. The ephodion is the travel or subsistence allowance paid for an escort.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Privatbrief). 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 →

bgu.7.1676

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · II · Philadelphia (Arsinoites)

[r] Σαραπόδωρος Φανείωνι τῷ ἀδελφῷ χαίρειν. γινώσκειν σε θέλω, ὅτι ἀπήλθαμεν πρὸς τὸν ἑκατόνταρχον καὶ ἔβαλεν ἡμᾶς εἰς μεσιτείαν κριθῆναι μετὰ μαχαιροφόρου. καὶ τῶν μεσιτῶν ἀκουσάντων ἀπὸ τῶν ἀντιδίκων σου, ὅτι τὸ πρᾶγμα ὅλον εἰς σὲ ἔβαλλεν, ἔδωκα ἐγγύην τῷ μαχαιροφόρῳ ἕως κγ, ἄχ…