P.Mich.inv. 3630 / Recto

About this Item

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Record Details

Inventory Number

P.Mich.inv. 3630

Processing Number

2023

Section/Side

Recto

Image Side

Recto

Background and Physical Properties

Publ./Side

Recto; Verso is blank

Connections

-

Material

Pap

Size

18.5 x 10.5 cm.

Items

1

Lines

1-34

Mounted

Yes

Negative

No

Conservation Status

This papyrus, of a medium-brown color and of good quality, is complete, but damaged in many places as a result of having been folded five times perpendicularly. The left side, though split along the second fold, presents no difficulty; the major loss occurs along the fourth and fifth folds, on the right, where there are several fairly large holes.

Palaeographic Description

Decipherment has not been easy owing to the numerous small perforations, to abrasion, and to the varying shape of some letters, particularly epsilon, eta, ny, pi, and ypsilon as they appear in differing ligatures. Where these letters are not completely preserved, restoration is correspondingly difficult. The writing is on the recto in a rather small, practiced, upright cursive hand of the second century.

Status

published

Library

Ann Arbor

Contents

Date

IInd century A.D.

Origin

Oxyrhynchite nome, Middle Egypt, province of Egypt (?)

Provenance

Oxyrhynchite nome, Middle Egypt, province of Egypt (?)

Acquisition

May 2, 1925; Acquired from Nahman lot.

Language

Greek

Genre

documentary

Author

Herakleides (?)

Type of Text/Title of Work

letter

Content

The writer, in an abrupt style, refers to a variety of things - his delay in loading camels, lentils and their current local cost, grain and fish. He informs Horion, whom he addresses in a slightly superior tone, that he is sending one basket containing jujubes, pomegranates, and gourds, and another with fresh dates, some old wine secured with difficulty, and a quantity of bones. After expressing the customary greetings, he reverts to business details - his failure to receive the cotton chiton he wanted, his readiness to have one woven for Horion provided materials and measurements are sent, grain being being sent to Psobthis, and the dispatch of dates, pomegranates, and a letter through Phatres, who acts as a go-between.

Subject Headings

Egypt--Oxyrhynchite Nome--Commerce.

Commercial correspondence--Egypt--Oxyrhynchite Nome|.

Persons

Herakleides (?),

Horion,

Soueros,

Helen,

Thaesion,

Ptolemas;

. . . nos, the son of Appian;

Chairas;

Phatres, the son of Chairas

Geographica

Psobthis.

Translation

Herakleides (?) to his dearest Horion, greeting. All who send letters send them concerning the camels. I detained the men who accompany the camels. For it was after we had loaded the camels with bones that the letter was brought to me. [This was a good thing] for I was able to buy . . . at the price of one hundred twelve drachmas the metretes. [And it proved timely, too,] for strangers have come looking for olive oil. When you were sending us lentils, you should have sent grain also, since you know that we have none to furnish. If you do not wish to send it now, it can be obtained [here] at the price of a stater for one and one-half metra. If you send an advance now, send five five artabas of wheat. Lentils are being sold at the rate of two metra for the stater. I received through Phatres one hundred ninety-six drachmas and four artabas of lentils and fourteen . . . at an obol each and . . . at the rate of two obols each, and the fish. Receive from Soueros a basket in which there are one metron of jujubes, thirty pomegranates, and fifteen gourds. Tell me at what price for the artaba you wish me to buy succulent olives. For they were all asking for grain and lentils by way of advance in order that they might make preparation. Receive from the same messenger a basket in which there are two metra of fresh dates and the six metretes two choes of old wine - it is only with much trouble that I find any - and twelve artabas of bones. Greet Helen, Thaesion and her children, and Ptolemas. Farewell. Let (?) . . .nos, the son of Appian, come (?) at once. I have not found the cotton chiton as I should have liked. If you want to have one woven for you here, send warp thread and the measurements. Take thought about the grain which is being sent to Psobthis and the grain of Chairas. Do not neglect any one of all these things. Receive from Phatres, the son of Chairas, a basket in which there are three metra of dates and fifty pomegranates and a letter. See that you do not neglect it."

Papyri.info Link

https://papyri.info/apis/michigan.apis.2023

Information on Publications

Publications

Series and Volume	Editor	Year	Pg/Nr	Photo	SB	Preferred Citation	Corrections
AJP 65	Winter JG-Youtie HC	1944	251-5	SB VI 9025	Winter JG-Youtie HC, AJP 65, 251-5, 1944 -- SB VI 9025

Cataloging

Cataloger

TC

Year Begin

100

Year End

199

Technical Details

Collection

Advanced Papyrological Information System (APIS UM)

Image Size

3853 x 4512

File Size

2 MB

Record

2023

Link to this Item

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/a/apis/x-2023/3630r.tif content_copy

Related Links

IIIF

Manifest

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/apis:2023:3630R.TIF content_copy