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Letter of the gymnasiarch Sarapion to Claudius asking for oil TM 31776OxyrhynchosIII

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 letter from Aurelius Sarapion, a gymnasiarch, to Aurelius Claudius, whom he calls father, asking him to send the 40 metretai of oil he had promised for Sarapion's days of supplying anointing oil. Sarapion has borrowed the oil from friends and needs it quickly to repay them, offering to pay the price at once. Oxyrhynchus, 3rd century AD.

In English machine translation

Aurelius Sarapion to Aurelius Claudius his father, many greetings. As I asked you in person when you were here for 40 metretai of oil for the days on which I am to provide the anointing, which you also promised in keeping with the good disposition you have towards me, now, since need pressed me, relying on you I obtained the 40 metretai from friends as a loan on condition of repaying them. So necessarily, if you still have oil at your place, tell either your son or whomever you wish to supply them to me quickly, so that I too may repay the friends who obliged me, the price being paid over by me at once to whomever you approve. But see that you do not neglect this, lest I seem to be deceiving the men. I pray for your health and that you fare as you wish. [verso] To Aurelius Claudius from Aurelius Sarapion, gymnasiarch.

The gymnasiarch was responsible for supplying oil for anointing in the gymnasium on his allotted days. 'Father' may be a term of respect rather than literal kinship.

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 a Gymnasiarch). 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.14.1665

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

[r] ΑὐρήλιοςΣαραπίων Αὐρηλίῳ Κλαυδίωι τῶι πατρὶ πολλὰ χαίρειν. καθὼς καὶ παρόντα σε κατʼ ὄψιν ᾐτησάμην εἰς ἃς μέλλω χρίειν ἡμέρας ἐλαίου μετρητὰς τεσσαράκοντα , οὓς καὶ καθʼ ἣν ἔχεις πρὸς ἐμὲ ἀγαθὴν προαίρεσιν ὑπέσχου, νῦν οὖν τῆς χρείας με κατεπειξάσης σοὶ θαρρῶν ἔσχον παρὰ φίλω…