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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 28783

Letter from Epoeris to her son Demetrios about oracles and a priest TM 28783unbekanntII

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 a mother, Epoeris, to her son Demetrios, explaining that she consults an oracle about him every ten days and did not write because the signs were unfavourable. She discusses an affair involving a priest that his brother made worse, advises him on whether to stay or go to Rome, and warns him to beware of his table companions.

In English machine translation

Epoeris to Demetrios her son, greetings. Before all else I pray that you are in good health. Do not think that I have been neglectful about you; for every ten days I consult the oracle about you. Finding then that the times are not favourable for you in this three-month period, for this reason I did not write to you. You wrote to me about the matter of the priest; your brother then conferred with him about this and greatly exaggerated it, so that the priest says that it is no longer a concern of the gods. After then the […] of the […] […] to him and greatly blamed him, because you yourself conferred with a man about a matter and […] yourself not […] in their power. Saying again to him that […] you to give […], saying that the one agreed upon […] I give a false account […] to them all […] and I consulted the oracle that […] it must be completed […] but he himself says […] but when not […] if […] those new things to them […] your matter […] for […] that I fear […] first, and to choose either to stay or for you to go to Rome. If then you sail up […], when are you going to come up? And guard yourself against those with whom you eat and drink. All those at home greet you; greet all those at home. I pray for your health. I thank your mother very much (?). I greet Dionysios warmly.

The verb manteuomai means consulting an oracle or seeking divination; the middle of the letter is badly damaged and only fragments can be translated. The final lines appear garbled in the original, with the closing wish 'I pray' displaced.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letter from Epoeris to Demetrius). 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.mert.2.81

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

Ἐποῆρις Δημητρίωι τῶι υἱῶι χαίρειν. πρὸ τῶν ὅλων εὔχομαί σε ὑγιαίνειν. μή με δόξῃς ἠμεληκέναι περὶ σου· διὰ γὰρ δέκα ἡμερῶν ἑκάστοτε μαντεύομαι περί σου. εὑροῦσα οὖν τὰ καίρια μὴ χρησιμεύοντά σοι ἐν τῇ τριμήνῳ ταύτῃ, διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔγραψά σοι. ἔγραψάς μοι περὶ τοῦ πράγματος τοῦ ἱε…