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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 31128

Letter from Serenos to his mother Tapsais about money, garments and soap TM 31128OxyrhynchitesIII

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 Serenos to his mother Tapsais, asking whether Paniskos paid her money, whether she finished making garments and what she spent. He also asks her to give one of two jars of detergent he sent to Harpokratiaina, who had asked him for it, and to have that part of the letter read to her. Written in the Oxyrhynchite nome in the 3rd century AD.

In English machine translation

Serenos to Tapsais his mother, greeting. I wrote to you on another occasion too, asking you to tell me whether Paniskos, when he came at that time, gave you any money, and whether you finished the garments, and how much you spent. Do not blame me. For although I wrote to him so many times, he did not even mention me in words. Of the two jars of soap (?) that I sent, give one to Harpokratiaina. For I have just remembered that when I was leaving she charged me with this. And let this part of the letter be read to her, so that she may not think I have been negligent. Greet all our people. I pray for your health, mother.

The word smēma means a cleansing substance such as soap or detergent paste; there is no exact English equivalent. The request that part of the letter be read aloud to Harpokratiaina suggests she could not read herself.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Serenus to Tapsais). 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.59.3996

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

Σερῆνος Ταψάϊτι τῇ μητρὶ χαίρειν. καὶ ἄλλοτέ σοι ἔγραψα δηλῶσαί μοι εἴ τί σοι Πανίσκος ἐλθὼν τότε ἔδωκε χαλκοῦ, καὶ εἰ ἀπήρτισας τὰ ἱμάτια, καὶ πόσον ἐδαπάνησας. μὲ δὲ μὴ μέμψαι. τοσαυτάκις γὰρ ἐμοῦ γράψαντος αὐτῷ, οὐδὲ διὰ λόγων μοῦ ἐμνήσθη. ἐξ ὧν ἔπεμψα δυεῖν στάμνων σμήματος δ…