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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 31013

Letter from the soldier Longinus to his mother TM 31013ArsinoitesIII

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 man named Longinus, apparently a soldier, to his mother, complaining of a quarrel between them over letters and mentioning items sent and people named Diogenis and Diogenes. It dates to the 3rd century AD and comes from the Arsinoite nome.

In English machine translation

Longinus to his mother, very many greetings. […] I want you to know that […] a letter […] my mother, an old one, since I grew weary (?) […] buying (?), I write to you; you have sent […] […] to me, so that you still quarrel with me […] […] either I by writing or you, mother, […] taking care […] remember me […] […] you sent […] not only but also often […] to you that the […] remain […] my […] fitted out […] to me […] then I sent […] […] you exact as […] and Diogenis I brought down […] send also Diogenes […] […] for to me then […] […] I will send and when I come […] to give a little letter, not only […] but also as many other soldiers […] […] nothing […] […] from heaven […] and to go up […] to me […] for they want not to dispute […] entirely, having become dear to you […] a civilian, an old […] […]. I greet my brothers and the others […] and […]. I pray for your health […]

The right side of every line is lost, so the connected sense is largely conjectural. The word paganos (civilian, as opposed to soldier) fits the military context.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Privatbrief). 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 →

bgu.4.1043

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

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