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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 28410

Letter from the boy Theon to his father Theon TM 28410OxyrhynchosII - 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 petulant letter from a young boy, Theon (also called Theonas), to his father Theon, complaining that he was left behind when his father went to Alexandria. He threatens not to write, speak to, or greet his father, or even to eat and drink, unless his father sends for him. It comes from Oxyrhynchus and dates to the 2nd or 3rd century AD.

In English machine translation

[recto] Theon to Theon his father, greetings. It was a fine thing of you not to take me with you to the city. If you won't take me with you to Alexandria, I won't write you a letter or speak to you or wish you health, and then if you go to Alexandria, I won't take your hand or greet you again from now on. If you refuse to take me, that's what's happening. And my mother said to Archelaos, "He's driving me crazy; take him away!" It was a fine thing of you to send me presents, big ones, beans (?)! They deceived us there on the 12th day, when you sailed. Now then, send for me, I beg you. If you don't send, I won't eat, I won't drink. There! I pray for your health. Tybi 18. [verso] Deliver to Theon from Theonas his son.

The letter is written in colloquial, ungrammatical Greek; 'It was a fine thing of you' is sarcastic. The meaning of 'arakia' (a kind of pulse) and of the mother's remark ('he upsets me, take him away') is debated.'

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

p.oxy.1.119

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

[r] Θέων Θέωνι τῷ πατρὶ χαίρειν. καλῶς ἐποίησας οὐκ ἀπενέγκας με μετʼ ἐσοῦ εἰς πόλιν. εἰ οὐ θέλεις ἀπενεγκεῖν με μετὰ σοῦ εἰς Ἀλεξάνδριαν οὐ μὴ γράψω σοι ἐπιστολὴν οὔτε λαλῶ σοι οὔτε ὑγιαίνω σε, εἶτα ἂν δὲ ἔλθῃς εἰς Ἀλεξάνδριαν οὐ μὴ λάβω χεῖρα παρὰ σοῦ οὔτε πάλι χαίρω σε λοιπόν.…