Recommendation letter
Private letter from Ammonion to Dioskoros, containing a recommendation.
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 28899
Letter of recommendation from Ammonios to Dioskoros for Heras, secretary of farmers TM 28899Skandips, province of EgyptIInd century A.D.
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 3 records across 3 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
A private letter of recommendation from Ammonios to Dioskoros, introducing Heras, secretary of the farmers at Skandips in the Arsinoite nome, who must answer a submitted report. Ammonios asks Dioskoros to go with Heras to a certain Markos and recommend him until Ammonios himself arrives.
In English machine translation
Ammonios to the most honoured Dioskoros, greetings.
Heras, who brings you this letter, is secretary of the farmers at Skandips, and he has to give a defence concerning the report that was submitted. I urge you to accompany him to Markos so that he may receive him until I arrive, since I am concerned about him; you will take care to introduce him to him. Take care [...] of goodwill, which favour I shall owe you for your kindness.
I pray for your health.
The sender's name appears as Ammonios in the text but as Ammonion in one catalogue description. The 'report' (anaphora) was probably a complaint or official report against Heras, to which he must respond with a defence (apologia).
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 Recommendation). 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.oslo.2.51
Ἀμμώνιος Διοσκόρωι τῶι τιμιωτάτωι χαίρειν. Ἡρᾶς ὁ κομίζων σοι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἐστὶν γραμματεὺς γεωργῶν ἐν Σκανδιψ καὶ ἔχει ἀπολογίαν δῶναι ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐπιδοθείσης ἀναφορᾶς. παρακαλῶ σε ἀκολουθεῖν αὐτῶι πρὸς Μάρκον ἵνα προσδέχηται αὐτὸν μέχρι παραγένωμαι ἐπειδὴ μέλει μοι περὶ αὐτοῦ, με…