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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 31474

Letter to a brother about a donkey and grain collection TM 31474Antinoopolis (?)III - 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 →

Fragmentary private letter, probably from Antinoopolis in the 3rd or 4th century AD, in which the writer asks his 'brother' to look after a donkey, sell it if it fattens and buy a tall one, and to press on with grain collection as epeiktes. He sends greetings to Antas and Ammonios and promises to write once his travel plans are known.

In English machine translation

[…] […] of the office (?) of my lord […] Take care of my donkey for me. And if it becomes better fed and can be sold, sell it. So buy me a tall one worthy of you. As an enforcer (epeiktes), act and press on with the grain, so that you are not found at fault. And make our brother Antas acknowledge his gratitude to you on our behalf, since he is in need of expenses. Besides the others, my lord brothers, I greet Antas himself and the incomparable Ammonios. Let these things be your concern even though you are busy. We wrote at Antinoou (?) not […], knowing where we shall have to travel; I will write to you. Write to me with instructions about whatever you wish. I pray for your health, lord brother.

An epeiktes was an official charged with expediting the collection and transport of grain. 'Brother' may be a courtesy address rather than a family relation.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letter). 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.harr.1.109

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

[… ? lines lost …] τάξεως τοῦ κυρίου μου κ…… τοῦ ὄνου μοῦ μελέτω σοί. καὶ ἐὰν μὲν εὐτραφέστερος γένηται καὶ δυνηθῇ πραθῆναι, πώλησον. ὑψηλόν μοι οὖν ὤνησαι ἄξιον σοῦ. ὡς ἐπείκτης πράττε καὶ ἔπειγε τὸν σῖτον, ἵνα μὴ ἐν αἰτίᾳ εὑρεθῇς. ποίησον δὲ τὸν ἀδελφὸν Ἀντᾶν ἀνθʼ ἡμῶν χάριν σο…