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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 30353

Letter from Soueros to her sons Sarapion and Chairemon about seals TM 30353unbekanntIII

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, Soueros, to her sons Sarapion and Chairemon, sending a seal and four small seals they had asked for and urging them to write promptly about their health. It dates to the 3rd century AD.

In English machine translation

[recto] Soueros to Sarapion and Chairemon, her lords and sons, very many greetings. Before all else I pray that you are healthy and always strong, together with your brother. Receive from the one delivering the little letter to you the seal, as you wrote, and 4 small seals, as you wrote. Greet all those who love us, each by name. I urge you to write to me promptly about your health. For I find it hard to find anyone who will write for me. Farewell. [verso] […] Deliver to Sarapion (and) Chairemon from Soueros, their mother.

The closing complaint that she can hardly find anyone to write for her suggests Soueros used a scribe. The phrase translated "promptly" (literally "at hand") could also mean "in your own hand".

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Lettre de Souerous à Sarapion et Chairemon). 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.ifao.2.40

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

[r] Σουηροῦς Σαραπίωνι καὶ Χαιρήμωνι τοῖς κυρίοις καὶ υἱοῖς πολλὰ χαίρειν. πρὸ μὲν πάντων εὔχομαι ὑμᾶς ὑγιαίνειν καὶ διὰ παντὸς ἐρρῶσθαι σὺν τῷ ἀδελφῷ ὑμῶν. κόμισαι παρὰ τοῦ ἀναδιδόνντος σοι τὸ ἐπιστόλιον τὴν σφραγῖδα ὡς ἔγραψας καὶ σφραγίδια δ ὡς ἔγραψας. ἄσπαζε τοὺς φιλοῦντας ἡ…