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 short private letter on an ostracon from Maximos to Alexas and four other men, telling them that his unit expects to be relieved around the month of Choiak, as reported by men at the fort further down. It dates to the mid-2nd century AD and comes from Raima in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.
A praesidium was a small fortified military post on the desert roads; 'we are being relieved' likely refers to the rotation of the garrison. 'Both' (amphoterois) oddly qualifies five names, perhaps meaning 'all'.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Trois lettres de Maximos à Alexas). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
Μάξιμος Ἀλεξᾶτι καὶ Ὀρσενοῦφι καὶ Ἀσκληπιάδῃ καὶ Μαρίνῳ καὶ Λέοντι ἀμφοτέροις τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς πλεῖστα χαίρειν. γινώσκειν ὑμᾶς θέλω ὅτι πρὸς τὸν Χοιὰκ ἀλλασσόμεθα. τοῦτό μοι γράφουσι οἱ εἰς τὸ ὑποκάτω πραισίδιον. μὴ ἀμελῖτέ μοι γράφιν περὶ τῆς σωτηρίας ὑμῶν. ἀσπάζεται ὑμᾶς Οὔλπις κα…
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