The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 4 records across 2 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
A Latin letter of recommendation from Aurelius Archelaus, a beneficiarius (soldier on special staff duty), to his superior Iulius Domitius, a legionary tribune, commending his friend Theon, who had left home and property to follow him. It was found at Oxyrhynchus and dates to the 2nd century AD.
A beneficiarius was a soldier detached to serve an officer, here the tribune himself. The closing phrase asking the reader to imagine the writer speaking is a commonplace of ancient letter-writing.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letter of recommendation from Aurelius Archelaus, beneficiarius, to Iulius Domitius, tribune of a legion). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
[FrA,r] Iulio Domitio tribuno militum legionis ab Aurelio Archelao beneficiario suo salutem iam tibi et pristine commen daveram Theonem amicum meum et modo quoque peto domine ut eum ante oculos habeas tamquam me est enim talis homo ut ametur a te reliquit enim suos et rem suam et…
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