One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 28005

Letter from Alexandros to Athenodoros asking for a donkey to bring provisions TM 28005unbekanntII - III

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 Alexandros to Athenodoros, written while he was away from home. He reports that he has been unwell and without food for two days, that his slave boy from the Arsinoite nome is sick, and asks Athenodoros to supply a donkey so the boy can bring him provisions. It dates to the 2nd-3rd century AD.

In English machine translation

Greetings, my lord Athenodoros. I, Alexandros, salute you. I beg you: I have been sluggish (ill?) and have gone without food for two days, so that I could not even dine with the nomarchs, and in particular my slave boy, who came from the Arsinoite nome, has been sick until today and is not here with my provisions. [Therefore] I beg you to provide a little donkey so that my slave boy can come to me with the provisions. I ask you then, my lord, not to let me be neglected in a foreign place […]

The verb rendered 'sluggish (ill?)' suggests listlessness or illness. The final line, probably a closing, is lost.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below. 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.lond.2.144

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

χαίροις κύριέ μου Ἀθηνόδωρε Ἀλέξανδρός σε ἀσπάζομαι. παρακαλῶ νωθρευσαμένου μου καὶ ἀσιτήσαντος ἡμέρας δύο ὥστε με μετὰ τῶν νομαρχῶν μηδὲ συνδειπνῆσαι ἐξαιρέτως καὶ τοῦ παιδαρίου μου ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀρσινοίτου ἀσθενήσαντος μέχρι σήμερον μετὰ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων μοι μὴ παρόντος διὸ παρακαλῶ πρ…