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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 33335

Letter from Sabinus to Elias about the landowner's arrival and farmers' wages TM 33335Kellis (Oasis Magna)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 short fourth-century business letter from Sabinus to Elias, whom he calls his son, found at Kellis in the Dakhla Oasis. Sabinus explains that the landowner has arrived from Egypt and will not grant him an extra day of his (guard?) duty, and promises to provide something, apparently wages, concerning all the farmers.

In English machine translation

To my lord son Elias, Sabinus, greetings. Since my lord the landowner has come from Egypt and does not allow me the addition of the one day of my [...]guard duty (?), I will provide you with the [...] wage (?) of all the farmers. I pray for your health, my lord, for many years.

"Egypt" here means the Nile Valley as opposed to the Oasis. The word ending in -phylakia (a guard or watch duty) and the clause about wages are damaged, so their exact sense is uncertain.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Business Letter). 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.kellis.1.81

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · IV · Kellis (Oasis Magna)

κυρίῳ μου υἱῶι Ἠλίᾳ Σαβεῖνος χαίρειν. τοῦ κυρίου μου γεούχου ἐλθόντος ἀπὸ τῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ μὴ συγχωρήσῃ μοι τὴν προσθήκην τῆς μιᾶς ἡμέρας τῆς […]φυλακίας μου, παρέξω σοι τῇ προσ[…]……οίου μισθ… τῶν γεωργῶν πάντων. ἐρρῶσθαί σε εὔχομαι, κύριέ μου, πολλοῖς χρόνοις.