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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 33520

Letter from a steward to the landowner Dionysios about wages and money TM 33520unbekanntMitte 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 letter from a steward to his master, the landowner Dionysios, reporting that he has paid the wages of the symmachoi (messengers or guards) for Sabinos and Naraos, who nonetheless left him and went to Dionysios. He asks for money he spent on the price of a house and requests that his brothers be introduced to a certain Apollonios.

In English machine translation

[recto] To my lord the landowner Dionysios, from your steward. I want you to know, my lord, that I have paid the allies (symmachoi) on behalf of Sabinos and Naraos their wages up to today, so that no one may […] concerning these matters. Not only did they receive the customary allowances from me but also an advance, and without reason they left me and came to you. Do not hold your fear over them, so that they do not neglect your works; for they will neglect much. Send me the money which I gave toward the price of the house; for they demand the freight charge here so that we may […](?); I was spending it on transactions. I was in need on account of my brothers; for I sent to you about these matters and so that you might give them an introduction to Apollonios. Present them to Apollonios himself so that he may look after them. I pray for your health, my lord. [verso] […] … 14

Symmachoi in late antique Egypt were couriers or armed attendants employed on estates, not literally military allies. The phrase rendered 'so that we may […]' is a garbled word in the original and its meaning 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 Letter to a Landlord). 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.mert.1.38

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

[r] κυρίῳ μου γεούχῳ Διονυσίῳ ὑμῶν προνοητοῦ. γινώσκειν σε θέλω, κύριέ μου, ὅτι ἐπλήρωσα τοὺς συμμάχους τοὺς ὑπὲρ Σαβίνου καὶ Ναράους τοὺς μισθοὺς αὐτῶν μέχρις σήμερον μή τις αὐτοὺς νου…[…]… περὶ τούτων· οὐ μόνον τὰ νομιζόμενα ἔλαβαν ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ ἀλλὰ καὶ προχρείαν, καὶ ἀλόγως ἀπέστη…