Fragment of document
Fragment of document
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 30515
Letter from Neilos to Agenor on behalf of a detained runaway TM 30515unknown place, province of Egyptspätes III
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 4 records across 3 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
A letter from Neilos to his 'brother' Agenor asking him to help the bearer of the letter, a man held by the supervisor Anoubion for having run away in the time of a certain Kastorion. The bearer is willing to pay what is asked, and Neilos says Agenor can settle the matter. It dates to the late 3rd century AD, from an unknown place in Egypt.
In English machine translation
[recto]
[...]
[...]
Release the workman of Ibion when you go up. For embark in order to sail up, as you have said.
[verso]
To my lord brother Agenor, Neilos, greetings. Please, my lord, help the man who delivers this letter to you, since the supervisor Anoubion is detaining him on the grounds that he ran away in the time of Kastorion, though you were not troubled (?) by him. For he told me that he will give him whatever he wants, and for this reason I have written to you. For if you are willing, his business will be done.
I pray for your health for many years.
The few lines on the recto, mentioning a workman of Ibion, seem to belong to a different message or an earlier part of the text. The phrase 'you were not troubled by him' is obscure and its translation is uncertain.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Nilus to Agenor). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
Official Letter
Letter from Neilos to Agenor, asking him to make an arrangement with the man delivering the letter, who had disappeared from his village and is now willing to pay whatever is due on his account
p.mich.8.515
[r] [… ? lines lost …] [… 1 line lost …] τὸν ἐργάτην τῆς Ἰβιῶνος ἀπάλλαξον ἀναβαίνων. τὸ γὰρ πρὸς ἀναπλεῦσαι ἔμβα, ὡς εἴρηκας. [v] κυρίῳ μου ἀδελφῷ Ἀγήνωρι Νεῖλος χαίρειν. καλῶς ποιήσεις, κύριέ μου, συνάρασθαι τῷ ἀναδιδόντί σοι τὰ γράμματα, ἐπειδὴ ὁ ἐπιστήκων Ἀνουβίων κατέχει αὐτ…