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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 32658

Letter from Pianios to the anchorite Apa Papnoutios asking for prayers TM 32658unbekanntMitte 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 →

A Christian letter from Pianios to the anchorite Apa Papnoutios, taking the chance of a traveller to greet him, asking for his prayers to be delivered from his sins and the troubles pressing on him, and sending greetings to the brothers with him. It dates to the mid-4th century AD.

In English machine translation

[recto] To the most longed-for, surpassing in knowledge, Apa Papnoutios, Pianios, greeting in the Lord God. Having found someone travelling to your piety, I thought it necessary to greet your reverence by letter, praying to Christ that I may be deemed worthy to embrace you also in person; for still in the spirit I […] you […], and each day […] I greet (?) […]. I beseech your holiness to deign to pray for my sins, that God may deliver me from the […] and from the constraints that press upon me. Greet the brothers from us […]; greet from me […] the foster-child (?) Athanasios […]; for he too is one of those who love your piety. I, Athanasios, greet my lord and Eusebios and Hareous and all the brothers who are with your holiness. […] greets (?) you, and also his brother Dorotheos. I pray that you are well in the Lord for many years, my most longed-for lord. [verso] To my beloved brother Papnoutios, anchorite […] of the monastery of monks.

Part of the archive of Papnoutios, an anchorite in 4th-century Egypt; a second hand (Athanasios) adds greetings. The word translated 'foster-child' (threptos) may denote a house-born dependant or ward.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below. 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.lond.6.1925

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · Mitte IV

[r] τῷ ποθεινοτάτῳ ἐπιστήμης ὑπερβάλλοντι ἄπα Παπνουτίῳ Πιάνιος ἐν κυρίῳ θεῷ χαίρειν. εὐκαιρηθεὶς τοῦ συντείνοντος πρὸς τὴν θεοσέβειάν σου ἀναγκαῖον ἡγησάμην προσαγορεῦσαι τὴν εὐλάβειάν σου διὰ γραμμάτων, εὐχόμενος τῷ Χριστῷ καὶ αὐταῖς ὄψεσίν σε περιπτύξασθαί καταξιωθῆναί με· ἔτι…