A fragmentary Coptic letter from Aphrodito in the early 8th century AD concerning public taxes, a tax-demand note (entagion), a register and a courier, mentioning Markos and Georgios. The address on the back refers to Basil (?), the illustrious pagarch.
In English machine translation
[recto]
[…] I greet your lordship […]
[…] the time when I (went?) south concerning the […]
[…] they do not let (?) the public tax […]
[…] teach (?) […]
[…] the place of the […]
[…] him; finally, it is a just thing […]
[…] counsellor to me concerning this matter, this one they […]
[…] that I take them with them upon them, whether Markos or Georgios
[…] you will prepare it for them. Write to me so that I may give thanks
[…] and let the great men of your kind (?) not lead the matter astray, especially
[…] the fear of God in him, and may God and the king say (?)
[…] two more public taxes, being farmers of the same (?), since it is written in his name
[…] when you come south, I will inform you about the register […], so that you do not find anything
[…] and concerning the matter of Markos also, let your lordship do the good
[…] yours it is, and he gives thanks to you, and behold the entagion (demand note)
[…] south, and I wrote to you another time concerning the symmachos (courier), so that you send him to
[…] he takes public tax without the symmachos, and do not hold back (?) quickly to pay the public tax
[…] † Through me, ...ysis, who writes. I greet your lordship † †
[verso]
[…] Basil (?), the illustris and the pagarch […]
[…] of Georgios and Markos
Demosion is the public tax; the symmachos was an official courier. The pagarch is probably Basil of Aphrodito, known from the Qurra archive.
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.