OPES – Oslo Papyri Electronic System

Background and Physical Properties

Material:

Ostracon

Connections:

–

Size:

11 x 15 cm.

Lines:

17

Publication side:

–

Palaeographic description:

–

State of preservation:

–

Content

Date:

Late IIIrd/early IInd century B.C.

Origin:

Unknown place, Upper Egypt, province of Egypt

Language:

Greek

Genre:

Documentary

Author:

Diodoros

Title / Type of text:

Private letter

Content:

Letter from Diodoros to Triboles, with instructions about which letters, and to whom, he shall distribute at a caravan station

Subjects:

Letter Travel Post

Named people:

Diodoros Triboles Herakleides Hermodotos, phylakites at Berenike Ptolemaios Dositheos, archiphylakites Apollonios, phylakites Aristoboulos Charimortos Asklepiades Priamos

Named places:

Koptos Berenike

English translation:

From Diodoros to Triboles. Greetings! Since we are departing for Koptos after the 15th (corr. from16th ), please, when the wagons of Ptolemaios arrive, deliver to Herakleides who is in the service of Hermodotos, guard at Berenike, the letters addressed to Hermodotos, among which there is a cylindrical envelope addressed to Dositheos, the chief guard. In addition, deliver to Apollonios, the guard of the wagons, (my) letter to Aristoboulos, who is in the service of Charimortos, concerning the money he spent on elephants. Deliver also the other letters to Asklepiades and Priamos; but if you receive (a letter/letters from them?), do not deliver (my letters?). Report to me in writing.

Provenance:

Unknown place, Upper Egypt, province of Egypt

Acquisition:

Purchased 1910 by S. Eitrem, near Medamout, NE of Luxor

Acquisition year:

–

Editions

• Amundsen L, O.Oslo, 1933, 2
  ▾ Corrections:

  • Hunt AS JEA 20 (1934) p. 125 (l.12)Zucker F, Gnomon 12 (1936) p. 669 (l. 12, 15f.)Peremanns W-van't Dack E, Studia Hellenistica 8 (1952) p. 252 (l. 9/10)

Further Literature

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