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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 36848

Letter to Theodosios about his wife, his wages and purchases TM 36848OxyrhynchosVI

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 private letter from Oxyrhynchus, 6th century AD, sent by a brother to Theodosios, who is working away for a landowner. The writer reassures him about his wife Maria, reports failing to collect a solidus of his wages from the landowner, and asks him to buy a box for his sister Phoibadia, weavers' combs, an iron item, and shallots for his father-in-law Abraamios.

In English machine translation

[recto] Do not have any worry about our sister Maria, your wife. For, God willing, we will not let her be in need of anything, nor do we intend to cause her any trouble. As you wrote about the scarlet cloak, I gave it to her. I went to your landowner wishing to get one solidus from your wages, and I even made him a handwritten receipt, but he would not consent to give me anything. Please buy a small box for your sister Phoibadia and four weavers' combs. If you can buy an iron lump (?) of one gramma, do not hesitate to do so. Abraamios your father-in-law asked me to write to you so that, if you get gold from your landowner, you buy for him shallots for one solidus. We greet your good self many times, from the least to the greatest, and we are well, with God. [verso] Deliver to my master brother Theodosios […] from […] his brother.

The geouchos is the landowner employing Theodosios; the chrysinos is the gold solidus. The meaning of 'iron mazion of one gramma' 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 To Theodosius). 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.59.4005

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

[r] μὴ θελήσῃς μηδεμίαν φροντίδα ἔχειν περὶ τῆς ἡμῶν ἀδελφῆς Μαρίας, σοῦ δὲ συμβίου. οὐκ ἐῶμεν γάρ, τοῦ θεοῦ θέλοντος, αὐτὴν δεηθῆναί τινος, οὔτε ἐννοούμεν ποιῆσαι αὐτῇ πρᾶγμα. καθὼς δὲ γέγραφας περὶ τοῦ κοκκηροῦ ἱματίου, δέδωκα. μὲν αὐτῇ, παρεγενάμην δὲ πρὸς τὸν σὸν γεοῦχον θέλω…