πολλ[ῆς μὲν οἱ], ὦ̣ δέσποτα, κατ’ ἐκεῖνο̣ν τότε τὸν χρόνον εὐδαιμονίας ἐνεπλήσ̣[θησαν], [ἡ]νίκα τῆς ἐνθέο̣[υ Τύχης καὶ] θ̣εῶν προνοίας̣ ἡγουμένης σὺν Ἀγαθῶι Δαίμονι τῆς χώρας τῆς τῶν̣ Θηβαίων προὔστ̣η̣ς κ̣[αὶ παρὰ] τοῖς̣ κ̣ά̣τ̣ω Α̣[ἰγυ]π̣τ̣ίοις καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν ἀνθρώποις μακάριοι καὶ ζηλωτοὶ ἐώ̣[ικεμεν σ]υ̣ν̣[εῖν]α̣ι̣ ἄ̣ρ̣[χοντι] τοι[ούτωι εὐτυχήσαντ]ες, ὧι πα̣ρ̣α̣π̣λ̣ή̣σ̣ι̣[ο]ν̣ ἕτερον ἐκείνη ἡ̣ λ̣ῆ̣ξ̣ι̣ς̣ κ̣η̣δ̣ε̣μόνα [καὶ προστάτην οὐ] τ̣ε̣θ̣έα̣τ̣α̣ί πω πρότερον. διάδοχοι δὲ νῦν τῆς εὐδαιμονίας ἡμῶν ἐκείνης οἱ τὴν [λαμπροτάτην οἰκο]ῦντες πόλιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς πάλιν ἐν τῶι παρόντι εἰς εὐδαιμονίας μέρος [λογίζομαι φοιτῆσα]ι̣, ὡς ἐπέπρωτο κἀμοὶ {δικαστηρίωι (*) νῦν ὁμιλεῖν} ὑπὸ τοιούτωι ἄρχοντι καὶ δι-καστῆι ἑστάναι δικαζόμενον, ο (*) ὗ τὸ ἀμείμητον (*) τῆς κρίσεως ἐν διαφόροις ἔθνεσι καὶ πάλαι καὶ νῦν ἡ [π]ε̣ῖ̣ρα ἔδ̣ε̣ιξεν. τοῦ πράγματο̣ς τοίνυν τούτου τὴν ὑπόθεσιν ἄνωθεν ἀρξάμενος, ὡς ἔχει, συντόμως τῆι 10 σ̣ῆι ἀ̣ρ̣ε̣τ̣ῆι, δέσπ[ο]τα̣, πα̣ρ̣α̣τ̣ί̣[θημ]ι. πρὸ πολλο̣ῦ̣ [τινος] χρ̣ό̣ν̣[ου] ἀ̣δελφός τ̣ις̣ ἐμὸς Ἁρποκρατίων τοὔνομα π[ε]ρὶ̣ λόγους̣ καὶ αὐ̣τ̣ὸ̣ς̣ ἐσ̣π̣ο̣υδακὼς ἀποδημίαν ὑπερόριον ἔξω τῆς Αἰγύπτου τυγχάνει σ̣τ̣ε̣ι̣λ̣ά̣μ̣ε̣ν̣[ος]. ἐντεῦθεν δ̣ὲ̣ [ἀπ]οδη̣[μ]ῶ̣ν ἀπὸ τῆς λαμπρᾶς ταυτησὶ (*) πόλεως κατέλειπεν ἀνδράποδα \ἑαυτοῦ/ παρ’ ἐμοὶ ἐν- ταυθοῖ τότε δια̣τ̣ρί̣βο̣ν̣τι ἐντε̣ιλάμενός μοι εἰς Θηβαί (*) δα, καθ’ ὃν μέλλω καιρὸ (*) ν ἀναπλεῦσαι, ἀναγαγεῖν ταῦτα. ἐγ̣ὼ δὲ φυλατ[τό]μ̣ενος, μὴ ἕ (*) ν τι τούτων τῶν ἀνδραπόδων ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ δρασμῶι χρήσηται, 15 ̣ ̣ ̣ [ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ἐτύγ]χα̣νεν, παρεθέμην Κόμωνί τινι φίλωι ἐκείνου Ἀλεξανδρεῖ ὡς (*) καὶ [ - ca.15 - ] (*) Traces [ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ μ̣ε̣ν̣ο̣ς̣ δε ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ς τῶν ἀνδραπόδων (*) [τούτων - ca.12 - ] (*) κ̣ἀμοὶ (*) ἕπεσθαι, ε[ἰ]ς Θηβαί (*) δα ἀνήγαγον κατὰ τὰς τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἐντολὰς [ - ca.11 - ] (*) ν̣ ο̣ὐ̣κ ἐβο̣υ̣λ̣[ή]θη, ἀλλὰ̣ ἐνταῦ̣θ̣α (*) ἀναμεῖναι τὴν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου παρουσίαν [ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ι̣π̣α̣ ̣ [ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ] ̣ ἀναγ̣[κά]σ̣αι̣, ἀλλὰ̣ [π]αρὰ τῶι αὐτῶι Κόμωνι κατέλειπον ὁμολογίαν̣ παρ’ αὐτοῦ ἔγγρα- 20 [φον δεξάμενος ὅπ]ω̣ς̣ ἐ̣π̣α̣ν̣ε̣λ̣θ̣ό̣ν̣τ̣[ι ἐκε]ί̣νωι ἀποκατ̣α̣σ̣τ̣ή̣σ̣η̣ι̣ [τὰ ἐνταυθοῖ] ἀ̣ν̣δ̣ρ̣[άπ]οδα, [προσεδόκων γὰρ τὴν ἐπάνο]δ̣[ο]ν̣ μετ̣[ὰ βρα]χύν̣ τ̣ι̣να γ̣ε̣ν̣ήσεσθα̣ι χ̣[ρόνον. ἀ]ε̣ὶ̣ δ̣ὲ̣ τ̣οῦ ἀ̣ν̣δ̣ρ̣ὸ̣ς τὴν [ἄφιξιν πρὸ ὀ]φ̣θαλ[μῶ]ν̣ ἔ̣χ̣ω̣ν̣ κ̣α̣ὶ̣ καθ’ ἑ̣κ̣ά̣σ̣την̣ σ̣χε̣δ̣ὸ̣ν̣ ἡμ̣έ̣ρ̣α̣ν α̣ὐ̣το̣ῦ̣ τὴν̣ ἐ̣π̣ά̣νοδον 23 Traces ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ν γ̣ρ̣αμμά̣των - ca.14 - ἐ̣π̣ὶ τὰ ἀνδρ̣ά̣π̣ο̣δ̣α̣ α̣ὐτὸς̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ π̣έμπω̣ν ε̣ἰ̣ς̣ [ -ca.?- ] ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ κα̣ὶ̣ Traces ετ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ κα̣ὶ̣ τότε ̣ ̣ ̣ α̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ [ ̣ ] ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ιαν 25 π[ - ca.15 - ] Traces τ̣ὰ̣ ἀνδράποδα κ̣[α]ὶ Traces κ̣αιου̣ ̣ το εγ̣ ̣ [ -ca.?- ἀ]ν̣τ̣ι̣ποιούμ̣ενον ̣ ̣ [ ̣ ̣ ̣ ] ̣ ρ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ι̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ἀδελφ̣[ - ca.20 - ] ἀποδοῦναι ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ [ -ca.?- ] Traces ειση ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ π̣λ̣ευ ̣ ̣ ̣ 27bis \ἐ̣πιλ̣α̣β̣όντ̣ο̣ς̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ [ -ca.?- ]/ ο̣ς εμ̣ ̣ [ ̣ ̣ ] ̣ ̣ [ - ca.60 - ] ̣ α̣ιο̣ ̣ ι̣ων Traces 30 [ - ca.60 - ] - ca.15 - [ - ca.60 - ] - ca.15 - [ - ca.60 - ] - ca.15 - [ - ca.60 - ] Traces -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- (perpendicular) 33,ms ὡ̣ς̣ μὴ ἐ̣π̣[ὶ κληρο]ν̣[όμο]ι̣[ς] ἐκε[ί]νου τελ̣ε̣[υτήσαντος καὶ ὡς νῦν ὄντα] ἀ̣δέσποτ̣α̣ (perpendicular) 34,ms ἡ̣μῖν ̣ [ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ] τῆι̣[δε] ἐ̣κε̣ῖσε̣ κ̣αὶ ο ̣ [ - ca.20 - ] ̣ ̣ α̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ [ -ca.?- ] (perpendicular) 35,ms [ - ca.17 - ] ̣ ̣ ̣ α̣ ̣ ἡσε ̣ (*) [ - ca.20 - ] ̣ ̣ τ̣ω̣ν̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ [ -ca.?- ]
(*)
"Of much, O master, at that time, they were filled with happiness, when the divine Fortune and the providence of the gods were leading along with the Good Daemon of the land of the Thebans, and among the Egyptians and all other blessed and envied men, we seemed to be fortunate, as if we were to be happy, of which that inheritance was a guardian and protector never before seen. Now the successors of our happiness, those who inhabit the most splendid city, but also I myself again in the present time, I reckon to go to the part of happiness, as it was destined for me to converse now under such a ruler and judge, standing judged, that the unimitable nature of the judgment has shown in various nations both in the past and now. Therefore, beginning from above the premise of this matter, as it is, I briefly present to you, O master, my excellence. A long time ago, a certain brother of mine named Harpocration, having been eager for discussions, happens to be in a distant land outside of Egypt, being in a state of exile. From there, he left behind slaves of his own with me, while he was then residing there, having instructed me to go to Thebes, where I intend to sail back, to bring these things. But I, being careful, lest any of these slaves should escape from me, I happened to leave a certain friend of his, Comon, in Alexandria, as well as... (text continues)."