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Letter from Zanathos to Abinnaeus about camels, wine for the comes and gold TM 32672AlexandriaMitte IV

The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 3 records across 2 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →

A letter from Zanathos to Flavius Abinnaeus, commander at Dionysias in the Fayum, asking him to feed the camels of Zanathos' brother Polychronios, which are carrying wine as a gift for the comes. Zanathos also asks Abinnaeus to send gold, since he is going to Alexandria and faces an inquiry on many matters. It dates to the mid 4th century AD.

In English machine translation

To my master Abinnaeus, Zanathos. Having found an opportunity, my lord brother, I hastened to greet your inimitable nobility, truly incomparable. Next, I want you to know that the camels of my brother Polychronios are coming to your nobility as if sent by me, as I told Polychronios beforehand in Alexandria, with a load of wine, so that he may give a gift to my master the comes, so that you may feed them, doing me the greatest favour. And concerning the kind (?), you too know that I am going to Alexandria and I have need; for I am being examined about many matters. Send therefore the gold; but if not, write to me also to manage properly from the kind itself. I pray for your health. [margin] And concerning whatever you wish, order me, as I do it gladly. I greet your household, may the evil eye spare it, and your children, may the evil eye spare them. I pray for your health for many years. [verso] To my master Abinnaeus

The word eidos, rendered here as 'kind', probably refers to goods in kind or a tax payment in kind; its exact sense is uncertain. The comes is a high military official, not a count in the later sense.

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.abinn.30

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

[r,ctr] τῷ δεσπότῃ μου Ἀβιννέῳ Ζάναθος· εὐκαιρίαν εὑρὼν κύριέ μου ἄδελφε ἔσπευσα προσαγορεῦσαί σου τὴν ἀμίμητον καλοκαγαθίαν ὡς ἀληθῶς ἀσύνκριτον. ἔπειτα γιγνώσκειν σε θέλω τῶν καμήλων τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου Πολυχρονίου ἀπαντούντων πρὸς τὴν σὴν εὐγενίαν ὡς ἀπὸ ἐμοῦ ἀπεσταλμένα ὡς προεῖπ…