Letter of Consolation
Irene to Taonnophris and Philo, offering condolences
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 28407
Letter of consolation from Eirene to Taonnophris and Philon TM 28407OxyrhynchosRoman CE ii (Oct 28 or 29) [BPG]
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 4 records across 3 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
A short letter of condolence from a woman named Eirene to Taonnophris and Philon, who have lost someone dear. She says she grieved as she did for her own Didymas, that she and her household performed all the customary rites, and urges them to comfort one another. It comes from Oxyrhynchus in the 2nd century AD.
In English machine translation
[recto]
Eirene to Taonnophris and Philon, be of good comfort.
I was as grieved and wept as much over the blessed one as I wept for Didymas, and I did everything that was fitting, and so did all my family, Epaphroditos and Thermouthion and Philion and Apollonios and Plantas. But nevertheless, one can do nothing in the face of such things. So comfort one another.
Farewell. Hathyr 30.
[verso]
To Taonnophris and Philon.
The deceased is referred to only as 'the blessed one' (eumoiros), probably a son of the addressees. Didymas was presumably someone Eirene herself had lost earlier.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letter of Consolation). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
chrest.wilck.479
p.oxy.1.115
[r] Εἰρήνη Ταοννώφρει καὶ Φίλωνι εὐψυχεῖν. οὕτως ἐλυπήθην καὶ ἔκλαυσα ἐπὶ τῶι εὐμοίρωι ὡς ἐπὶ Διδυμᾶτος ἔκλαυσα, καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἦν καθήκοντα ἐποίησα καὶ πάντες οἱ ἐμοί, Ἐπαφρόδειτος καὶ Θερμούθιον καὶ Φίλιον καὶ Ἀπολλώνιος καὶ Πλαντᾶς. ἀλλʼ ὅμως οὐδὲν δύναταί τις πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα. …