Papyrus 232 – Letter to Ammonaphris, Herakleia (Fayum), 2nd century AD (P.Ryl. 232)
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Greek text available through Papyri.info: http://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.ryl;2;232
English Translation
Tap…[1] to Ammonaphris … greetings. As soon as the strategus[2] arrived at Herakleia[3], he inquired about you because of the secretaryship of the farmers, and the officials told him that you were staying in the village.[4] I write to you so that you may be aware.
(Addressed on the verso) To Ammonaphris
Papyrus 233 – Letter Concerning the Construction of a House, Apollonopolites Heptakomia, 14 June, 118 (?) AD (P.Ryl. 233)
The beginning of the papyrus is missing. The letter belongs to the archive of Apollonius, strategus (governor, highest civil authority of the district) of the Apollonopolites Heptakomia at the beginning of the reign of Hadrian and for this reason the date is hypothetical. It was probably addressed to Apollonius himself by Herodes, the man in charge of the construction of the house according to other correspondence from the archive.[5]
Greek text available through Papyri.info: http://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.ryl;2;233
English Translation:
‘… a stream (or a fountain?), and the entrance and exit for all the labourers is by the sideway. When we bring the work to a happy conclusion, then the housetop will be established. Then a balustrade stairway and the entrance-porch will come together with the balustrade of the small dining-hall. The beams of the windows in the great dining-hall have today been partly fixed. The second water-cooler is to be roofed over tomorrow. The owners of the open plot in front of your gatehouse are villagers; I will refer it to Heraclius to send to them. I send you the account from the beginning up to the 14th of Pauni[6] written continuously but divided into four sections to be submitted to your administrator[7], in order that he, having fresh in his mind the prices of the fittings that he buys, may have no suspicion in matters relative to the account. For I wrote to you, my lord, on another occasion that nothing is being bought without his supervision. I pray, my lord, that I may see you in further advancement and in full health and wealth. Farewell, my lord. Pauni 20[8].’
Papyrus 234 – Letter Concerning an audience with the epistrategus, provenance unknown, 2nd century AD (P.Ryl. 234)
Greek text available through Papyri.info: http://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.ryl;2;234
English Translation:
To my lord Apollonius from (name of the sender is missing) his servant, greeting. On the (day missing) at the first hour[9] I presented the letters to his excellency the epistrategus[10] and he straightway gave them to his secretary. A little later, when I approached the secretary inquiring concerning the men who are with me, he answered: “Go, the answer will be delivered through the strategi.”[11] But when I again exhorted him and stated that I could not leave without an answer owing to the men with me and that the matter was urgent, I was told: “I will tomorrow read it over to him myself so that he may state his reply.” I write therefore to you, my lord, that you may know, and (to inquire) whether you wish me to remain here with the men until either they are heard or I receive an answer. I pray for your good health, my lord. Mesore 12[12].
Papyrus 235 – Letter to Philon, provenance unknown, 2nd century AD (P.Ryl. 235)
Greek text available through Papyri.info: http://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.ryl;2;235
English Translation:
… having found out that Ammonous is coming to you, I thought it was my due to salute you and all your friends. I was surprised that you did not inform me through Lupercus of your good health and how you are in order that we too may be free of care about you, but it is not the first time that we learn your carelessness. Therefore bear us too in mind even if you are engaged in quite other pursuits. Salute Philon. I pray for your health.
(Addressed on verso) To . . . also called Philon.
Papyrus 240 – Letter of Horion to Heroninos, Fayum, mid-3rd century AD (P.Ryl. 240)
Greek text available through Papyri.info: http://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.ryl;2;240
English Translation:
Horion to his brother[13] Heroninos, greeting. Supply the person who brings you my letter with hay for the oxen and inform me of the quantity that I may reckon it in. Do not neglect this; the matter is urgent. I pray for your health.
The letter is written recycling the back of a piece from a papyrus bearing two columns from Demosthenes, On Crown (P.Ryl. 57).
[1] The writer is almost certainly a woman because ‘Tap-’ is the typical beginning of Egyptian female names, see R.S. Bagnall, R. Cribiore, Women’s Letter from Ancient Egypt, 300 BC – AD 800, Ann Arbor 2008, Letter 276.
[2] In the 2nd century AD the strategus was the highest civil authority of the nome (administrative district controlled by a capital city).
[3] Village of the Fayum, the letter was probably sent from there. On Herakleia see http://www.trismegistos.org/geo/detail.php?tm=772.
[4] The Greek text has ‘κω’ that can be either a fast way for writing ‘κώμη’, village, or Κω, another village in the Fayum, according to Bagnall, Cribiore, Women’s Letter cit., Letter 276.
[5] On the archive of Apollonius see http://www.trismegistos.org/arch/detail.php?tm=19. On the construction of this house and the letter dossier see G. Husson, OIKIA. Le vocabulaire de la maison privée en Égypte d’après les papyrus grecs, Paris 1983: 313-319.
[6] = 8 June
[7] The administrator, Heraklios, is mentioned by name later in the text and in other two letters of the archive, which also relate to the building of this house (P.Giss. 67, P.Brem. 48 with Husson, OIKIA cit. 314-316).
[8] = 14 June.
[9] The first hour of the day corresponded more or less to the sunrise (ab. 5.30-6 a.m. in Egypt in August).
[10] Egypt was divided in three administrative divisions the Delta, the Heptanomides and Arsinoites (= the Fayum and seven nomes in Middle Egypt), and the Thebaid each governed by an epistrategus who was a Roman citizen and a knight nominated by the emperor. He had civil and administrative functions.
[11] See footnote 2.
[12] = 5 August
[13] ‘Brother’ was often used to indicate a friend, a colleague or other associates. Heroninos and Horion were both employees in the administration of the estate of Aurelius Appianus, a wealthy Alexandrian, in the Fayum. See D.W. Rathbone, Economic Rationalism and Rural Society in Third Century Egypt. The Heroninos Archive and the Appianus Estate, Cambridge 1991.
