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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 38223

Letter from Kallimachos to the chancellor Petros asking for news and vegetable seeds TM 38223ArsinoitesVI - VII

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 Byzantine letter from Kallimachos to Petros, a kankellarios (chancellor), gently complaining that no letter came with the many messengers sent by their common mistress and asking for regular news. He also requests a few seeds of various vegetables.

In English machine translation

[recto] † We were surprised that so many people were sent by our common good mistress and yet we received no letter from your magnificent brotherhood. Please, then, knowing how much we care to learn on every occasion of your health and condition, write to us always through whoever is sent by our common mistress about your health and condition, and also give orders about whatever seems good to you, so that we too may find freedom to trouble you about whatever we need. I ask you to send me a few seeds of various vegetables through someone being sent here, so that in this too I may acknowledge my thanks to you. Through this whole letter I very much do obeisance to and greet your magnificent brotherhood. † [verso] † To my master in all things, most magnificent, worthy of all honour, true friend and brother, Petros, chancellor (kankellarios), from Kallimachos.

The 'common good mistress' is probably the landowning lady whose estate both men served. A kankellarios was a secretary or clerk in an official or estate administration.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below. 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.grenf.2.92

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · VI - VII · Arsinoites

[r] † ἐθαυμάσαμεν τοσούτων ἀνθρώπων πεμφθέντων παρὰ τῆς κοινῆς ἀγαθῆς δεσποίνης καὶ μὴ δεξάμενοι γράμματα τῆς ὑμετέρας μεγαλοπρεποῦς ἀδελφότητος. καλῶς οὖν ποιεῖ, ἐπισταμένη ὅπως μέλει ἡμῖν τοῦ γνῶναι ἐφʼ ἑκάστης τὴν ὑμετέραν ὑγίειαν καὶ κατάστασιν διὰ παντὸς πεμπομένου παρὰ τῆς …