One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 39127

Letter of Achilleus to his master, a pagarch TM 39127unbekannt

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 →

Fragmentary letter from Achilleus, who calls himself the household slave of his master, addressed on the back to an official who was also a pagarch. It mentions Victor the deacon, Makaria, a journey to Toeto, an honoured letter and order from a high official, and a soldier sent by a 'most glorious' person.

In English machine translation

[recto] [...] of my master, that [...] For what did I write to my master? For it is true [...] today on account of my master [...] and again, that on my behalf the things to be received are being thrown away (?) [...] of the man is, after God, more necessary [...] to know that he has no one else now caring [...] for his master; and concerning Victor the deacon [...] and Makaria, whether she is well [...] [...] went away to Toeto [...] [the] honoured letter of the good and God-supported [...] and behold, the most glorious [...] sent a soldier [...] [...] to the order of the good and God-supported [...] [verso] [...] and pagarch † Achilleus, his own slave [†]

The verb rendered 'thrown away (?)' is an unusual form (perhaps for blasketai or similar) and its sense is uncertain. 'God-supported' (theosteriktos) is an honorific epithet of Byzantine-era officials; the archive is that of Papas, pagarch at Edfu (Apollonos Ano) in the 7th century.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Lettre privée). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.

p.apoll.68

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

[r] [… ? lines lost …] […] τοῦ δεσπότου μου ὡς κε[…] τί γὰρ ἔγραψα τῷ δεσπότῃ μου; ἀληθινὰ γὰρ ἐστι[…] σήμερον διὰ τὸν δεσπότην μου μη…[…] καὶ πάλιν ὡς ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ βλήσκεται τὰ λημφθησόμενα[…] τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐστὶ μετὰ Θεὸν ἀναγκαιότερον[…] γνῶναι ὡς οὐκ ἔχει ἄλλον τι νῦν φροντίζοντα[…