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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 34876

Letter from Athanasios to Ammonios about the unsold camels TM 34876Philadelphia (Arsinoites)2. Hälfte IV - 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 business letter from Athanasios to Ammonios, secretary of Philadelphia, about two camels Ammonios had him buy. Athanasios reports that after a whole day at market nobody would offer more than 4 gold pieces for the old camel and 3 for the foal, and asks whether to send the animals back or settle the account at those prices, since he cannot take a loss.

In English machine translation

Athanasios to Ammonios, secretary of Philadelphia. The camel which you made me buy for five solidi less a gramma, which I told you was old and you said was not old, and the foal for four gold pieces less a gramma: for the old one nobody offered more than 4 gold pieces, and likewise for the foal no more than 3. By divine providence, they stayed a whole day in the market and nobody offered a price except as I said before. So if you want me to send them to you, or to reckon it this way, let me know; for I cannot bear a loss. I pray for your health.

"Less a gramma" (para grammatos) refers to a small deduction from the gold coin price, the gramma being a tiny unit of weight or value. The solidus (nomisma) and "gold piece" (chrysinos) are the same coin.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Lettre d'affaires relative à la vente de deux chameau). 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.gen.4.172

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · 2. Hälfte IV - V · Philadelphia (Arsinoites)

Ἀθανάσιος Ἀμμωνίῳ γραμματεῖ Φιλαδελφίας. τὴν κάμηλον ἥνπερ πεποίηκάς με ἀγοράσαι νομισματίων πέντε καὶ γράμματος, ἣν ἔλεγόν σοι ὅτι γραῦς ἐστιν καὶ ἔλεγες μὴ εἶναι αὐτὴν γραῦν, καὶ τὸν πῶλον τῶν τεσσάρων χρυσίνων παρὰ γράμματος, τῆς μὲν γραΐδος οὐδεὶς παρεῖχεν εἰ μὴ χρύσινα τέσσα…