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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 39101

Letter from Platon to the pagarch Papas sending a workman TM 39101unbekannt

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 →

Letter from Platon to Papas, the pagarch, reproaching him for not acting on the orders of the amir and the lords, and announcing that he has sent a workman. Platon asks for confirmation of receipt and offers to send women too if wanted.

In English machine translation

[recto] † I remember being ordered by our lord the most praiseworthy amir […] your God-protected brotherliness did not seek (?) in accordance with the order of our lords. I cannot disobey the orders of the lords; it must therefore be desired (?). See, I have sent you the workman, and write to me that you have received him. And if you want the women too, I will send them as well. I greet you, God-protected ones, through this letter. † [verso] [† To my] brother Papas, the most great comes, politeuomenos and pagarch, † Platon [†]

The amir is the Arab governor of early Islamic Egypt; Papas was pagarch of Apollonopolis Ano. Workmen and women were requisitioned under Arab administrative orders.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as De Platon: reproches de négligence et envoi d’un travailleur). 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.40

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

[r] † μέμνημαι κελευσθεὶς ἐκ τοῦ δεσπότου ἡμῶν τοῦ πανευφήμου ἀμιρᾶ[…] οὐκ ἐζήτησεν ἡ ὑμετέρα θεοφύλακτος ἀδελφότης πρὸς τὴν κέλευσιν τῶν δεσποτῶν ἡμῶν· οὐ δύναμαι παρακοῦσαι τὰς κελεύσεις τῶν δεσποτῶν· ἐπιθυμητέον οὖν· ἰδοὺ τὸν ἐργάτην ἔπεμψα ὑμῖν, καὶ γράψατέ μοι ὅτι τοῦτον ἐδέ…