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A fragmentary late antique letter of recommendation or appeal to a high-ranking master, introducing the bearer, a soldier of the master's household, whose people had fled to the Arsinoite nome and were apparently sold by others. It dates to the 6th or 7th century AD.
The soldier probably belonged to the private retinue of a great estate (household), a common feature of late antique Egypt; the word rendered 'all his people' is literally 'all of him', perhaps meaning his dependants or slaves.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Private Letter). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
[r] † ὁ ἀποδιδοὺς τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ ἐνδόξῳ δεσποτείᾳ τὰ παρόντα εὐτελῆ γράμματα στρατιώτης ἐστὶν τοῦ ὑμετέρου ἐνδόξου οἴκου καὶ πάντες αὐτοῦ ἀπέδρασαν καὶ ἦλθον εἰς τὸν Ἀρσινοίτην καί τινες ληει… ἑτέρου διʼ αὐτῶν κατὰ τὸ παντελὲς τούτους ἐπώλησαν …θεου ε… ἐνδοξότατόν μου δεσπότην […]ου……
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