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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 33119

Letter from Thonis to his daughter Syras and Kallinikos about an undertaking and goods TM 33119OxyrhynchosIV

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 private letter from Thonis to his daughter Syras and Kallinikos, written at Oxyrhynchus in the 4th century AD. He explains he was detained and made to sign an undertaking to travel by 20 Phamenoth, but is delayed by a family property dispute after the death of his daughter Theodora's husband, and asks her to collect household goods he has paid for, which he lists.

In English machine translation

[recto, centre] Thonis to Syras and Kallinikos, my lords, children in the Lord God, very many greetings. I make obeisance for you every day before the Lord God. I want you to know that I was detained by the Oxyrhynchites and they made me sign a written undertaking that I would go down with your brothers by the 20th of Phamenoth, and I am very distressed that I may not be able to go down by the deadline, because the husband of your sister Theodora has died and I am in dispute with his brother over the property of her daughter. So please, my lady daughter, find out what the others who signed undertakings intend to do. But do not neglect it. For I expect to go away by Monday (?) to your sister. If I can persuade them, it would be well; but if […], I am doing everything to come. For indeed before this […] to greet you. I received your little letter […] and I was glad to hear of the good health of you and your children. […] that I gave the money and have not yet received the goods; so please take the goods. For I did not renounce them. For he himself does not know that I did not renounce these things concerning the goods […] daughter, so […]. Greet […] your […]. Your sister […]ra greets you. Eulogis greets you. Apollonios and Thonis greet you. Greet Kallinikos and Kallippos and Thonis and Demetrios and […]. I pray for your health for […], my lady daughter. [recto, margin] Do everything to receive all the goods. They are, item by item: the basket, the little bath bucket and the kettle, and the hanging lamp-stand, and the pint measure, and the lamp with a fox, and the little bowl, and the two earrings with their little plates (?), and the two shoulder pieces, and the pound of fine tow. [verso] […] to the daughter […]

The letter is addressed to two people but mostly speaks to a single 'lady daughter', presumably Syras. Several words in the list of goods (e.g. kokkomas, pinaria) are rare and their exact meaning uncertain.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Thonis to Syras and Callinicus). 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.59.3998

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

[r,ctr] Θῶνις Συρᾶτι καὶ Καλλινίκῳ τοῖς κυρίοις μου τέκνοις ἐν θεῷ κυρίῳ πλεῖστα χαῖρε. τὸ προσκύνημα ὑμῶν ποιῶ καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν παρὰ τῷ κυρίῳ θεῷ. γινώσκειν σε θέλω ὅτι κατεσχέθην ὑπὸ τῶν Ὀξυρυγχιτῶν καὶ ἐποίησάν με χειρογραφῆσαι μέχρι εἰκάδος Φαμενώθ με κατεισελθεῖν μετὰ τῶν…