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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 33623

Letter from Plution to his master about sowing, fodder and irrigation TM 33623unbekanntIV

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 letter from Plution, probably a farm manager or tenant, urging his master to come the next day because a field is ready for sowing, the oxen lack fodder and water is available to irrigate a large plot. He sends via the messenger Saas two old ploughshares to be reforged into one, and some vegetables. It dates to the 4th century AD.

In English machine translation

[...] Plution. Do not neglect to come to us tomorrow, for the field of Abios has come up for sowing and there is no fodder for the oxen. For I said to Isak, "Money is needed," and he says, "I have none." And for this reason I sent Saas to you, so that the letter would not be intercepted (?). I have sent by the same Saas two old ploughshares so that they may be made into one good one, for I have made another new plough. So, lord, do not decide to stay away from us tomorrow, because of the opportunity of the water, so that we may be able to irrigate the large allotment. I have sent you a few vegetables by Saas. I pray for your health for many years, master.

The opening lines with the address are lost, so the recipient is unnamed. The names Isak and Saas suggest a Christian or Jewish milieu; the reading of the clause about the letter being intercepted 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 of Plution). 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.amh.2.143

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

[… ? lines lost …] Πλουτίων. μὴ ἀμελήσῃς ἐν τῇ αὔριον ἀπαντῆσαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ὁ γὰρ ἀγρὸς Ἀβίου ἐξῆλθεν εἰς σπορὰν καὶ τροφεῖα οὐκ ἔνι τοῖς βουσί. εἶπον γὰρ τῷ Ἰσάκ, δεῖ κέρμα, καὶ λέγει, οὐκ ἔχω· καὶ τούτων χάριν ἀπέστειλα Σαᾶν πρὸς σὲ ὅπως μὴ ἐνεδρευθῇ τὰ γράμματα. ἀπέστειλα διὰ τ…