Letter from Dionysius to Zo�lus
A letter referring to the importunity of a decemprimus about the lading of some corn, and asking for assistance and information. Address on the verso.
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 31782
Letter from Dionysios to Zoilos about pressure from the dekaprotos over grain loading TM 31782Oxyrhynchus3rd century
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 3 records across 3 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
A private business letter from Dionysios to his superior Zoilos, written at Oxyrhynchus in the 3rd century AD. He complains that the dekaprotos, a tax official, is harassing him and the farmers over the loading of grain, fodder and expenses, asks Zoilos to send a man named Dionysios who knows the measurement accounts, and requests instructions about Phoinike and about river workers for reed-cutting.
In English machine translation
To my lord Zoilos, Dionysios, greetings.
The dekaprotos is pressing us hard about the loading of the grain. So send us Dionysios, for he knows the account of the measuring, and we loaded it at the rising (of the river). And now he is pressing us and the farmers, who have no animals, and he is pressing about fodder and about the expenses. Send him, he knows the account, so that we may also take over animals. About Phoinike you wrote me nothing. So write, so that I may learn the instruction. And about the river workers for the reed-cutting, write to me where we are to find them. I pray for your health for many years, lord.
[verso]
To my lord Zoilos from Dionysios.
The dekaprotoi were local officials responsible for collecting grain taxes and their shipment. Phoinike is probably a place or estate name; 'potamitai' were river workers, here wanted for reed-cutting.
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 Dionysios to Zoïlus). 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.oxy.14.1671
[r] κυρίῳ μου Ζωίλῳ Διονύσιος χαίρειν. ὁ δεκάπρωτος πολλὰ ἡμῖν ἐνοχλεῖ περὶ τῆς ἐμβολῆς τοῦ σίτου. πέμψον οὖν ἡμῖν Διονύσιον, αὐτὸς γὰρ οἶδεν τὸν λόγον τῆς μετρήσεως, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀναβάσει ἐνεβαλόμεθα. καὶ νῦν ἐνοχλεῖ ἡμῖν καὶ τοῖς γεωργοῖς κτήνη οὐκ ἔχουσι, καὶ περὶ χόρτου καὶ περὶ…