One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 27858

Letter from Ptolemaios to Deios asking him to water an olive grove TM 27858unbekanntII

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 →

Private letter from Ptolemaios to his friend Deios, asking him, if he can, to water their small olive grove. Ptolemaios mentions praying for Deios before Sarapis and says he may come down soon. The letter dates to the 2nd century AD.

In English machine translation

[recto] Ptolemaios to his dearest Deios, greetings. I make obeisance for you before the lord Sarapis. If it is not burdensome to you, brother, trouble yourself and, if you can, water our little olive grove, and you will have done me a great favour. Perhaps I shall come down in the meantime […] [… lines lost …] [verso] [To Deios from] Ptolemaios his friend.

The 'proskynema' is a customary formula of prayer made on the recipient's behalf before a god. 'Brother' here is an affectionate address; the address calls Ptolemaios Deios's friend.

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.

p.bad.2.33

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

[r] Πτολεμαῖος Δείῳ τῷ φιλτάτῳ χαίρειν. τὸ προσκύνημά σου ποιῶ παρὰ τῷ κυρίῳ Σαράπιδι. ἐάν σοι ἀβαρὲς ᾖ, ἄδελφε, σκῦλαι σεαυτὸν καί, ἐὰν δύνῃ, τὸ ἐλαιωνίδιον ἡμῶν πότισον καὶ ἔσῃ χάριν μεγάλην ποιήσας. τάχα δὲ καθιῶ ἐν τοσούτῳ κ…[…]υ…ας [… ? lines lost …] [v] Δείῳ παρὰ Πτολεμαίου…