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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 39089

Letter of Elias on the wages of sailors for the karaboi TM 39089unbekannt

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 letter from Elias, a notary, to Papas, pagarch of Upper Apollonopolis, about a dispute over gold paid from public funds as wages for sailors of the karaboi (naval vessels). Elias reports the amir's ruling that the wages belong to the men who actually went to sea, not to those who hired them as substitutes.

In English machine translation

[recto] † Since the people of the pagarchy of Panos and Antaiou and Apollonos and Hypsele [hired] sailors for the karaboi, and a dispute arose among them concerning the gold received here on account of the wages [given to them] from the public treasury, and I [wrote] to our lord the all-renowned amir so that [he might write to me about this, what] he orders to be done, and he wrote ordering me to make everyone know that he has ordered [it to be done] thus [concerning] their [wages], as was written to me, I [wrote] to your admirable brotherliness word for word as follows: […] to those who went out to sea, to them belongs the wage of the gold given from the public treasury [on behalf of] those who hired them as substitutes for themselves. Again he says thus: […] to them; for the one who stays at home ought not […] crossed the sea, be pleased to hold […] him, and to write to me about this. He ought not […] from those who hired the sailors […] is his. Again write to me and send […] it was assured that the […] be written […] his need […] man(?) […] he may write back to me if […] to write back that […] remainder of the […] [verso] † To my in all respects admirable brother Papas, pagarch of Upper Apollonos, † Elias, notary † Concerning the wages of the sailors of the karaboi.

The karaboi were ships of the early Arab fleet, crewed by sailors levied or hired by Egyptian districts; men liable for service could hire substitutes. The amir is the Arab governor of Egypt.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as D’Elias: la solde des marins des carabi). 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.apoll.28

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

[r] † ἐπειδὴ ναυτοκαράβους ἐμισθώσαντο οἱ τῆς παγαρχίας Πανὸς καὶ Ἀνταίου καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος καὶ Ὑψηλῆς, καὶ ἀμφισβήτησις ἐγένετο μεταξὺ αὐτῶν χάριν τοῦ λημφθέντος χρυσίου ἐνταῦθα λόγῳ τοῦ διδομένου αὐτοῖς μισθοῦ ἐκ τοῦ δημοσίου, καὶ ἔγραψα τῷ δεσπότῃ ἡμῶν τῷ πανευφήμῳ ἀμιρᾷ ἵνα γράψῃ…