P.Mich.inv. 5903

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About this Item

unspecified | summary (1 items)

Record Details

Inventory Number
P.Mich.inv. 5903
Processing Number
2586
Section/Side
Recto + Verso

Background and Physical Properties

Publ./Side
Recto + Verso
Connections
Archive of Sabinus and Apollinarius
Material
Pap
Size
15.5 X 30.2 cm
Items
4
Lines
Recto - 42 + (in left margin) 4 + (in right margin) 2
Verso - 2
Mounted
No
Negative
No
Negative in Copenhagen
yes (+verso)
Conservation Status
badly damaged in the center; three small fragments found with the papyrus are too illegible to fit them into place
Palaeographic Description
See electronic version of PMich VIII, 466
Status
published
Library
Cairo

Contents

Date
March 26, 107 A.D.
Origin
Bostra, province of Arabia
Provenance
Karanis, Herakleidou meris, Arsinoite nome, province of Egypt
Acquisition
30-C123CCI-A(4)
Language
Greek
Genre
Documentary
Author
Iulius Apollinarius
Type of Text/Title of Work
Private Letter
Content
Letter from Gaius Iulius Apollinarius to his father Sabinus, complaining about his negligence as a correspondent and telling him news from his life in the legion and his hopes of getting an advancement
Persons
Iulius Apolinarius (Apollinarius) (see P. Mich. IX, p. 5-8);
his father Iulius Sabinus (see P. Mich. IX, p. 5-8);
his sister(s) Iulia Sarapias (or Iulia & Sarapias?) (see P. Mich. IX, p. 5-8, and P. Mich. VIII, 465, 30 & 38-39);
his grandaunt Sambathion (see P. Mich. IX, p. 5-8);
Saturninus, semeaphoros;
Iulianus son of Longinus;
Dios (Deios);
Longinus;
Domitius, armicustos(?);
Claudius Severus, hypatikos (= unnamed hegemon?);
(unnamed) cornicularius;
Sempronius;
Volusius Proclus (bis?);
Longinus Paccius;
Valerius Sempronius;
Valerius Herma---;
Iulius Priscus;
Apolinarius (Apollinarius) ---ion;
Sarapias (& mother);
Thermouthis (& children);
(Longinus?) Paccius' father;
Longinus Barbarus;
the (firm) of Aphrodas, artymatopoles
Geographica
Bostra; Pelousion; Petra
Translation
Iulius Apollinarius to Iulius Sabinus, his dearest father, very many greetings. Before all else, I pray for your good health, which is my wish, since I revere you next to the gods; but this has troubled me, that I have very often written to you through Saturninus the signifer, likewise through Iulianus the son of Longinus and [[through Dios]], and not yet have you answered me concerning your health. But nevertheless, now that you have been asked, do you give your attention necessarily before all else to writing to me concerning your health. A number of times I asked Longinus, who brings you the letter, to take something for you, and he refused, saying that he was unable [to take anything]; but I want you to know that Domitius the armicustos(?) [took a long a basket in which] there was a . . . for you. Things are [going well for me. After] Sarapis [conducted me hither] in safety, while others . . . all day long were cutting building stones and doing other things, until today I endured none of these hardships; but indeed I asked Claudius Severus the consularis to make me a secretary on his own staff and he said, "There is no vacancy, but meanwhile I shall make you a secretary of the legion with hopes of advancement." With this assignment, therefore, I went from the consularis of the legion to the cornicularius. If then, you love me, you will straightway take pains to write me concerning your health and, if you are anxious about me, to send me linen garments through Sempronius, for merchants come to us from Pelusium every day. I shall take pains, as soon as the prefect (of the province?) begins to grant furloughs, to come to you immediately. Volusius Proclus salutes you, as do Longinus Paccius, Valerius Sempronius, Valerius Herma . . ., Iulius Priscus, Apollinarius . . . ion, and all their comrades. Salute Iulia my lady sister, likewise Sarapias and my mother, my grandmother Sambathion, Thermouthis and her children, the father of Paccius, and all your colleagues individually, and those at home. I pray for your good health. The 10th year of Trajan, our lord, Phamenoth 30.
I am grateful to Volusius and Longinus Barbarus. You will tell the firm of Aphrodas, the son of the condiment dealer, that they enrolled me in the cohort at Bostra. It lies 8 days' journey from Petra and . . .
(Verso) . . . soldier . . .

Information on Publications

Publications
Series and Volume Editor Year Pg/Nr Photo SB Preferred Citation Corrections
PMich VIII Winter JG-Youtie HC 1951 466 Winter JG-Youtie HC, PMich VIII, 466, 1951 -- BL III, 116 ( line 48); BL IV, 54 (date); BL VI, 82 (bibliography); BL VII, 111 (bibliography); BL VIII, 215 (l. 39; bibliography); BL IX, 161 (bibliography); BL XI, 132 (bibliography); BL III, 116 ( line 48); BL IV, 54 (date); BL VI, 82 (bibliography); BL VII, 111 (bibliography); BL VIII, 215 (l. 39; bibliography); BL IX, 161 (bibliography); BL XI, 132 (bibliography);
CPJ III Fuks A-Tcherikover V 1964 486b Fuks A-Tcherikover V, CPJ III, 486b, 1964

Information on Publications--Further Republications

Further Republications
Rep Editor - Smallwood EM; Rep Ser. - Documents Nerva-Hadrian; 1966; Rep_Pg. 307b

Information on Publications--Bibliography

Bibliography
Davies R.W., BJb 169 (1969) p. 226, n. 4; Bowersock G.W., JRS 61 (1971) p. 232-233; Kennedy D.L., HSCP 84 (1980) p. 289-292; Strobel K., ZPE 71 (1988) p. 258-260.

Cataloging

Cataloger
PH
Year Begin
107
Year End
107

Technical Details

Record
2586
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/a/apis/x-2586/1

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Full citation
"P.Mich.inv. 5903." In the digital collection Advanced Papyrological Information System (APIS UM). https://quod.lib.umich.edu/a/apis/x-2586/1. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 28, 2024.
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