Home › Spine › TM 383677
One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 383677

Letter from Ischyras to Bellicus about whetstones and Zosime TM 383677Krokodilo98 - 117

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 short letter on an ostracon from Ischyras, apparently a work-site foreman, to his superior Bellicus, asking him to look after his foster-daughter Zosime and explaining that the whetstones he promised have not yet been made by the stoneworkers. It comes from the Roman road station of Krokodilo in the Eastern Desert, in the reign of Trajan.

In English machine translation

Ischyras to Bellicus, his lord, very many greetings. Before all else I pray that you are in good health. I urge you, lord, to look after your foster-daughter Zosime, who is also my lady. You know that I instructed (?) you that I would send whetstones; the stoneworkers have not yet worked them. If they work them, I will send them to you at once. Farewell.

The 'hard-workers' (sklerourgoi) were workers in hard stone, here making whetstones. The verb rendered 'instructed' is unusual and the exact sense (promised or was asked) 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 Ischyras, chef de chantier). 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 →

o.krok.2.307

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · 98 - 117 · Krokodilo

Ἰσχυρᾶς Βελλικῷ τῷ κυρίῳ πλεῖστα χαίρειν· πρὸ πάντων εὔχομαί σε ὑγιαίνειν· παρακαλῶ σε, κύριε, ἐπέχειν τῇ θρεπτῇ σου Ζωσίμῃ, ἐμῇ δὲ κυρίᾳ· οἶδας ὅτι ἐπετειλάμην σοι ἀκόνας πέμψαι· οὔπω ἐργασμένοι εἰσὶν οἱ σκληρουργοί· ἂν ἐργάσωνται εὐθύς σοι πέμψω. ἔρρωσο.