One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 31089

Fragmentary private letter mentioning a slave woman and Koptos TM 31089MemphisIII

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 →

Fragmentary private letter of the 3rd century AD, attributed to Memphis, in which the writer complains of the addressee's lack of concern, mentions a letter, salted fish, expenses, a slave woman, a plan to sell something, and Koptos. It closes with greetings involving the addressee's parents and a farewell.

In English machine translation

[…] I […] as you know […] […] but my […] you told me to farewell (?) […] […] letters […] other […] […] my letter by salted fish or other […] […] although you do not inquire about […] […] and I know everything, if indeed also the […] […] of your affairs; these things do not concern me […] […] to be grieved that, going out […] […] against (?) you […] initiate (?) […] […] and coming to […] […] it and your expense and […] […] slave woman, from whom you […] me […] […] and I did these things so as not to grieve you […] […] permitting, I shall sell the few (?) […] […] in Koptos I am […] […] of which […] so great […] […] with your parents. Farewell. […]

Both edges of every line are lost, so the connected sense is largely conjectural. The reading 'mystes' (initiate) in line 9 is uncertain.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below. It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.

p.berl.bibl.30

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

[…]ρομαι ὡς οἶδας ου[…] […]ατος ἐμὴ δὲ χαίρειν μοι εἶπας […] […] γράμματα …… ἄλλας γνωμ […] […]ἐπιστολή μου ὑπὸ ταρίχους ἢ ἄλλου […] […]ηρω καίπερ οὐκ ἐξετάζεις περὶ ε[…] […]ω καὶ πάντα οἶδα εἴπερ καὶ τὰ ω[…] […] τῶν σῶν ἐμοὶ οὐ μέλει τούτων […] […]αι λυπεῖσθαι ὅτι ἐξερχόμενος [……