Private Letter
Beginning of a letter from Bes to his father Phamaeis
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 32728
Letter from Bes the wine-merchant to his father Phamaeis TM 32728unknown place, province of EgyptIVth century or Vth century A.D.
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 →
The opening of a private letter from Bes, a wine-merchant, to his father Phamaeis, sending greetings to him, his mother Thermoutis and the household. The text breaks off just as Bes begins thanking his father for something sent. It dates to the 4th or 5th century AD; the place is unknown.
In English machine translation
[recto]
643
To my lord and beloved father Phamaeis, Bes the wine-merchant, greetings.
Before all else I greet you warmly, and my mother Thermoutis, and your household, may the evil eye spare it, each by name. You did well to send me […]
[…]
[verso]
[…] to my lord […]
The opening letters χμγ (numerical value 643) are a Christian isopsephism, usually read as standing for 'God helps' or a similar phrase. 'May the evil eye spare it' renders abaskantos, a common protective epithet.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Bes to Phamaeis). 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.mich.8.519
[r] χμγ τῷ κυρίῳ μου καὶ ἀγαπητῷ πατρὶ Φαμάεις Βῆς οἰνοπράτης χαίρειν. πρὸ μὲν πάντων πολλά σε προσαγορεύω καὶ τὴν μητέρα μου Θερμοῦτιν καὶ τὸν ἀβάσκαντόν σου οἶκον κατὰ ὄνομα. καλῶς ἔπεμψάς μοι …[…] [… ? lines lost …] [v] […]… κυρίῳ μου […]