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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 33599

Letter from Barys to Diogenes asking relief from a liturgy for Horos TM 33599OxyrhynchosIV

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 letter from Barys to Diogenes, whom he addresses as father and brother in the Lord, asking him to excuse a poor man named Horos from a public service obligation for four months. Horos works a farm for Serenianus and plans to leave him in Hathyr to take up the liturgy; the letter dates to the 4th century AD and comes from Oxyrhynchus.

In English machine translation

To my beloved and father Diogenes, Barys your brother in the Lord, greetings. Knowing your love and the piety which you have towards us, my lord father, for this very reason I have written to you, asking you, so that I may not burden you by coming to you, knowing how busy you are. This then I ask of you, not commanding: concerning Horos, about whom Pathermouthis spoke to you, concerning him, if it is possible, to excuse him for these four months, since he is very poor and holds a farm (?) from Serenianus. For in Hathyr he intends to take leave of him so that he may devote himself to the liturgy. God is able to keep you without stumbling until you complete the liturgy. I pray for your health for many years.

A liturgy was a compulsory public service imposed on qualified residents; Diogenes seems to be supervising one himself. The phrase about Horos and Serenianus (literally 'has a property for Serenianus') is ambiguous and may mean he farms or manages an estate for him.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Barys to Diogenes). 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.56.3858

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

τῷ ἀγαπητῷ καὶ πατρὶ Διογένει Βαρὺς ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἐν κυρίῳ χαίρειν. εἰδώς σου τὴν ἀγάπην καὶ τὴν θεοσέβειαν ἣν ἔχεις πρὸς ἡμᾶς, κύριέ μου πάτερ, διʼ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἔγραψά σοι, ἀξιῶν σε, ἵνα μὴ ἐπιβαρήσω τοῦ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς σέ, εἰδώς σου τὴν ἀσχολίαν. τοῦτο οὖν σε ἀξιῶ, οὐκ ἐπιτάσσων, περὶ Ὥρ…