Home › Spine › TM 30436
One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 30436

Letter from Kephalion to Heraklas about a lawsuit before the prefect TM 30436AlexandriaIII - IV

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 letter from Kephalion to Heraklas, an elder, reporting that he has submitted petitions to the prefect in Alexandria for Heraklas's lawsuit without result so far. He explains that the prefect will soon go to Hermopolis to hold hearings and asks Heraklas to send money, 40 drachmas directly and 40 more through his servant.

In English machine translation

[recto] Kephalion to the most honoured Heraklas, greeting. When I was in Alexandria I handed petitions to our lord the prefect, and nothing has been endorsed for me up to now. Your opponent does not tire of petitioning, nor do I of answering (?), so that I heard that he is waiting on the office, and when you are called you will get an answer. This will not be long, as I at least think. For our lord the prefect is setting out on the first of Hathyr for Hermopolis to complete the hearings, and he has posted an edict about this. So if you see fit, send me 40 drachmas, and a letter to your servant so that I may receive another 40 drachmas from him, in order that […] the whole two months […] […] [… lines lost …] [verso] To Heraklas, elder, from Kephalion.

The 'prefect' (hegemon) was the Roman governor of Egypt, who toured the country to hear cases. 'Elder' (presbyteros) may be a village or church title rather than an age description.

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 Cephalion to Heraclas). 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.31.2597

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

[r] Κεφαλίων Ἡρακλᾷ τῶι τιμιωτάτωι χαίρειν. γενόμενος ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ ἀναφόρια παρέδωκα τῷ κυρίῳ ἡγεμόνι· καὶ οὐδέν μοι ὑπεγράφη μέχρι τούτου. οὐ κάμνει δέ σου ὁ ἀντίδικος ἐντυνχάνων. οὐδʼ ἐγὼ ὑποτυγχάνων, ὥστε ἀκοῦσαι με προσκαρτέρει τῇ τάξει, καὶ ὅταν ἀναγορευθῇς, ὑποτεύξῃ. τοῦτ…