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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 33251

Letter from Kophaena to her son Theodoulos complaining of neglect TM 33251HerakleopolisIV - V

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 private Christian letter from a mother, Kophaena, to her son Theodoulos, reproaching him for not writing or sending anything during her thirteen-month illness. She asks him for flax, a grain allowance and black wool for a mantle. Herakleopolis, 4th-5th century AD.

In English machine translation

[recto] ChMG ChMG ChMG To my son Theodoulos, from your mother Kophaena and from Zenon, greetings. Before all else I pray to God the Almighty for your health and wellbeing. I want you to know that the agent told you that your mother Kophaena is ill, look, thirteen months now, and you have not dared to write me even a letter, though you know yourself that I did better […] with you, and you did not dare, having heard that I am sick, you did not dare to send me even a little something. Please, then, send me 10 pounds of flax, and I will make you clothes as far as I can, since I have nothing to make for you. Please, then, make me a small allowance of grain, and I will send you […]. Your mother greets you, I Kophena, and your son Zenon and your sister Kyrilla and her children. Please, then, my son Theodoulos, buy me 6 pounds of black wool, so that I may make myself a mantle, and I will send you the money for whatever it costs. I pray for your health for many years. [verso] Deliver this to Theodoulos from Kophaena. ☧

ChMG (χμγ) is a common Christian abbreviation, often read as 'Christ born of Mary' or as an isopsephic symbol. The word translated 'mother' (ἄμμα) is a colloquial term for mother; the letter's spelling is highly phonetic (e.g. ἐτόρμηκας for ἐτόλμηκας).

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Ein Privatbrief). 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 →

bgu.3.948

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · IV - V · Herakleopolis

[r] χμγ χμγ χμγ τῷ υἱῷ μου Θεοδούλῳ παρὰ τῆς μητρός σου Κοφαήνας καὶ Ζήνωνος χαίρειν. πρὸ μὲν πάντων εὔχομαι τὸν παντοκράτορα θεὸν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας σου καὶ ὁλοκληρίας σου χάριν. γινώσκειν σε θέλω ὅτι εἶπέν σοι ὁ πραγματευτὴς ὅτι ἡ μήτηρ σου Κοφαήνα ἀσθενεῖ, ἰδοῦ, δέκα τρεῖς μῆ…