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A private letter from Dorotheos to Aphynchis, whom he addresses as father, warning that their friendship is at risk of turning into enmity. Creditors who lent money to Aphynchis through Dorotheos are now pressing him, accompanied by a soldier of the epistrategos, and he sees no option but to borrow to cover the outstanding talent. It dates to the late 3rd century AD, from the Oxyrhynchite nome.
"Father" may be a respectful form of address rather than a literal relationship. The epistrategos was a senior regional official whose soldier would have been used to enforce payment.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letter of Dorotheus). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
Δωρόθεος Ἀφυγχίῳ τῷ πατρὶ χαίρειν. ἡ φιλικὴ σχέσις πρὸς σὲ καὶ τὸν υἱόν σου ἐλπίζει μεγάλην ἔχθραν γενέσθαι. ἕως γὰρ καὶ ἐγὼ οὐκ ἠνωχλούμην ὑφʼ ὧν εἴληφας διʼ ἐμοῦ τὰ ἀργύρια, περὶ ὧν πολλάκις σοι ἀπαντήσας ὡμίλησα, ἠ…πόμην σου · νῦν δὲ ὀχληθεὶς ὑπʼ αὐτῶν μετὰ καὶ στρατιώτου τοῦ …
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