Φ̣λαυίω[ι Σισιν]νίω
τῶι διασημ[οτάτωι] καθολικῶι
παρὰ Αὐρ̣[ηλίου Ἄμ]μ̣ωνος Π[ε]τ̣εαρβεσχίνι[ος] σχολαστικο[ῦ ἀπὸ Παν]ὸ̣ς πόλεως τῆς̣ Θηβαί
δο[ς. ἡσυχία]ν̣ ἀ̣πράγμο̣ν̣α τοῖς ἐν φι[λοσο]φ̣ία
καὶ λό̣[γοις ἀνηγ]μ̣ένοις πρέπ[ει]ν
[ἐ]πιστάμε[νος ἥκω κ]αταν̣[αγκασθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν τὰ ἡ]μέτερα δια[προαχθεὶ[ς ἐπὶ ταυτ]η̣νι
τ̣[ὴν διαμαρτυρίαν· εἰ] μὲν̣ γὰρ ἐξῆ̣[ν τ]ο̣ῖ̣[ς ἀ]ναχωρεῖ[ν προ-]
κ̣ἀμοὶ κερ̣[δ]
ὑπ̣[δὲ φθό̣[νος] ἀ̣εὶ τοῖς καλοῖς [εἰ] μ̣ή μοι νε[δέσποτ[α ̣ ἀ]ν̣αγκασθέ̣ν̣τ̣[μεν γὰρ κα[λ̣ογουσα
α̣σ[τ̣οις ἀδι[κ]
κ̣ατεμ[πρὸ π̣ο̣λλ[οῦ τινος χρό]ν̣ου
ἀπ]ο̣δ̣ημ̣ί̣α̣ν̣
ἐντ[ε]ντ[ε]ν[τε[ν] ἐπὶ τὰ ἀνδράποδα
παρ’ ἐ̣[μοὶ ἐ̣ν̣ε̣τείλατό μ̣ο̣ι̣ ἀ̣[ναγαγεῖν εἰς Θη]β̣α[ί]δα
μενος δ’ ἐ[νίους τῶν ἀνδ]ρ̣α̣πόδων τούτω[ν κ]ἀμο[ὶ ἕ]πε̣σ̣θ̣[αι, εἰς Θηβαίδα]
ἀ̣νήγαγ[ον κ]α̣τὰ̣ [τὰς τοῦ ἀ]δ̣ελφοῦ ἐντολὰ̣ς̣ [οὐ]κ̣ ἐβουλήθη π[ρὸ τῆς τοῦ ἀδελ-]
φ̣οῦ παρο̣[υσία]ς̣ οὐκ̣ δ̣εῖν ἀναγκάσαι, ἀ̣λλὰ̣ [παρὰ τῶι αὐτῶι] Κόμωνι κατέλ[ε]ιπ̣[ον ὁμο-]
λογίαν πα̣[ρ’ α]ὐτοῦ̣ δεξάμε̣ν̣ο̣ς̣, ὅπως ἐπ̣α̣ν̣ελθ[όντι ἐκείνω]ι ἀποκαταστήση[ι τὰ ἀν-]
δράποδα, προσε̣δ̣[ό]κων γὰ[ρ] τὴν ἐκείνου ἐπ̣[άνοδον μετὰ βραχύν τ]ινα γενήσε[σθαι χρό-]
νον. ἀεὶ δ̣ὲ̣ τοῦ ἀνδρ̣ὸ̣ς τὴν̣ ἄ̣φιξιν πρὸ ὀφθαλ[μῶν ἔχων καὶ καθ’ ἑκάστ]η̣ν [σ]χ̣ε̣[δὸν ἡμέ-]
ραν
αὐτοῦ̣ [τὴ]ν̣ ἐπάνοδον [ἐπὶ τὰ ἀνδράποδα]
/ αὐτὸς ε̣[φ]ήμης δὲ πρ̣[ώην διαδοθείσης ὡς εἴη τελευτήσας]
ἐκεῖνος, πρὸ χρό̣ν̣ο̣υ̣ γὰρ β̣ρ̣α̣χ̣[έο]ς̣ τοῦτο ἀκήκοα, [οὐ γὰρ ταχέως εἰς ἀκοὴν
τῶν οἰκείων ἀφι-]
κ̣νεῖτα̣ι ὁ περὶ τ̣ο̣ῦ̣ θ̣α̣νάτου τ̣ῶ̣ν̣ ἐπὶ ξένης λό̣γ̣ο̣[ς διὰ τὸ μηδένα βούλεσθαι
μετὰ τοιαύτης] ἀ̣γγελίας̣ προσιέ̣ν̣α̣ι̣ τ̣οῖς τ̣ῶ̣ι̣ τε̣τελευτηκότι κα[τ’ ἀγχιστείαν διαφέρουσι,
παρεσκευαζόμην] μ̣ὲ̣ν̣ ἐ[πὶ τ]ῆ̣ι̣ ἀκ̣ο̣ῆι̣ [τ]α̣ύ̣τηι δεῦρο καταπλεῦσαι, π̣[ρῶτον μὲν δι’ ἐκεῖνον,
ἔπειτα διὰ τὰ ἀνδράποδα] ἡ̣μῶ̣ν̣ τὰ ἐνταυθοῖ δια̣τρ̣ίβο[ν]τ̣α. ἕως δὲ ταύτη[ν ἐν χερσὶν εἶχον τὴν φροντίδα,
ἐξαί-] φ̣νης ἔξ̣ωθεν̣ ἐπισ̣τὰ̣ς̣ Εὐ[γέ]ν̣ειο̣ς μεμοράριο[ς
κατασ̣χ̣εῖν ἠξίου καὶ ὑπ̣[υ]ε̣[ν] δι’ ἀ̣γ̣χι[σ]μ̣ε̣ν̣
β̣ο̣ι̣[ν] διάπρασιν
τὰ ἀνδράποδα
(No Latin text was extracted from the document.)
To Flavius Sisinus, to the most distinguished and universal, from Aurelius Ammon, the Petearveschinius, a scholar from the city of Thebes.
Grant peace to those engaged in philosophy and in the spoken words.
Knowing that I have come, compelled by those who are concerned with our affairs, I have been brought to this matter.
If it were possible for those who are to retreat according to their nature to enjoy the opinion until the end, I would not be hindered.
But envy is always directed towards the good.
If I am not to be a master of these things, we are compelled to do so.
I have been commanded to lead to Thebes, and I have followed the commands of my brother.
I did not wish to be compelled before the presence of my brother, but I left a testimony from him, so that when he returns, he may restore the slaves.
For I was expecting that his return would happen soon.
Always having the arrival of the man before my eyes and on each day, I have his return concerning the slaves.
He himself, however, has spread the rumor that he has died, for I have heard this for a short time, for he does not quickly come to the hearing of his relatives.
I was preparing to come here to hear this, first through him, then through the slaves of ours.
Until I had this in my hands, suddenly, Eugenios, a memorizer, came to me and deemed it necessary to take care of the matter concerning the slaves.
As for my brother, as he is not a heir, he has been made a slave by the divine fortune of our benefactors.
This man, having come to Alexandria, knowing that he has a brother, Harpokratios, who is a legitimate heir, has run to Thebes.
Perhaps he wanted to inquire about this, saying that he has letters from you calling me to the city of Alexandria, which he had prepared before this arrival to come here through these slaves.
Having arrived in my homeland and knowing the accuracy of the matter, as he has failed in the first attempt, he turned to another thing and was concerned about this.
For he has deemed it worthy to become friends among us.
Φ̣λαυίω[ι Σισιν]νίω
τῶι διασημ[οτάτωι] καθολικῶι
παρὰ Αὐρ̣[ηλίου Ἄμ]μ̣ωνος Π[ε]τ̣εαρβεσχίνι[ος] σχολαστικο[ῦ ἀπὸ Παν]ὸ̣ς πόλεως τῆς̣ Θηβαί(δος)
δο[ς. ἡσυχία]ν̣ ἀ̣πράγμο̣ν̣α τοῖς ἐν φι[λοσο]φ̣ία καὶ λό̣[γοις ἀνηγ]μ̣ένοις πρέπ[ει]ν [ἐ]πιστάμε[νος ἥκω κ]αταν̣[αγκασθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν τὰ ἡ]μέτερα δια[πειρωμέ̣νων],
π̣ροαχθεὶ[ς ἐπὶ ταυτ]η̣νι τ̣[ὴν διαμαρτυρίαν· εἰ] μὲν̣ γὰρ ἐξῆ̣[ν τ]ο̣ῖ̣[ς ἀ]ναχωρεῖ[ν προῃρημέν]οις κατὰ τὸ τ̣ῆ̣[ς] φύσεως αὐθ[αίρετον μέχ]ρ̣ι τέλ̣ο̣υ̣[ς ἀπ]ολαύειν τῆς γν̣[ώμης],
κ̣ἀμοὶ κερ̣[δ...], ὑπ̣[...], δὲ φθό̣[νος] ἀ̣εὶ τοῖς καλοῖς [...]
εἰ μ̣ή μοι νε[...] δέ]σ̣ποτ[α...] ταῦτα [...] ἀ]ν̣αγκασθέ̣ν̣τ̣[...]μεν γὰρ κα[...]
πρὸ π̣ο̣λλ[οῦ τινος χρό]ν̣ου [...] ἀπ]ο̣δ̣ημ̣ί̣α̣ν̣ [...]
ἐ̣ν̣ε̣τείλατό μ̣ο̣ι̣ ἀ̣[ναγαγεῖν εἰς Θη]β̣α[ί]δα [...]
ἀ̣νήγαγ[ον κ]α̣τὰ̣ [τὰς τοῦ ἀ]δ̣ελφοῦ ἐντολὰ̣ς̣ [...]
[οὐ]κ̣ ἐβουλήθη π[ρὸ τῆς τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ παρο̣[υσία]ς̣ οὐκ̣ [...] δ̣εῖν ἀναγκάσαι, ἀ̣λλὰ̣ [παρὰ τῶι αὐτῶι] Κόμωνι κατέλ[ε]ιπ̣[ον ὁμο-]λογίαν πα̣[ρ’ α]ὐτοῦ̣ δεξάμε̣ν̣ο̣ς̣, ὅπως ἐπ̣α̣ν̣ελθ[όντι ἐκείνω]ι ἀποκαταστήση[ι τὰ ἀν-]δράποδα, προσε̣δ̣[ό]κων γὰ[ρ] τὴν ἐκείνου ἐπ̣[άνοδον μετὰ βραχύν τ]ινα γενήσε[σθαι χρό-]νον.
φήμης δὲ πρ̣[ώην διαδοθείσης ὡς εἴη τελευτήσας] ἐκεῖνος, πρὸ χρό̣ν̣ο̣υ̣ γὰρ β̣ρ̣α̣χ̣[έο]ς̣ τοῦτο ἀκήκοα [...]
τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου ὡς μὴ ἐπὶ κληρονόμο̣ις ἐκείνου τ̣ε̣λ̣ε̣υ̣τ̣[ήσαντος καὶ ὡς νῦν ὄντα] ἀδέ̣σ̣ποτα ἐξ αἰτήσεως ἐσχηκέναι παρὰ τῆς ἐνθέου τύ̣[χης τῶν καλλινίκων] δεσ̣ποτῶν ἡμῶ̣ν.
ἐν Ἀλεξανδρεία δὲ γενόμενος οὗτος κ̣[αὶ γνοὺς ἐκεῖνον τὸν] Ἁρπ̣ο̣κρατίωνα κ̣λ̣η[ρον]όμον ἔχειν ἀδελφὸν ὁμοπάτρι̣[όν τε καὶ ὁμομήτριον, ἐμὲ δὴ] τὸν̣ Ἄμμωνα, παρ[αυτίκ]α̣ εἰς Θηβαίδα ἀνέδραμεν [...]
ἀλλ’ ἐπε[ιδὴ ... ἐ]ξ̣ετ̣εταράγμ̣ην ἐπὶ τῶι παρα̣δό̣ξ̣ω̣ι τοῦ πρ[άγματ]ος κ̣α̣ὶ̣ σχεδὸν οὐδὲ ἐμαυτοῦ εἶναι ἐδόκουν ὁρῶν τοὺς βουλομένους οὕτως ἄγοντα̣ς καὶ φέροντας τὰ ἡ̣μέτ̣ερ̣α ὡ̣[ς ἐπ’ ἀνδρῶν δήμευσιν] ἤ τι τοιοῦ̣[τον ἕτερον π]επονθότων̣ [...]
To Flavius Sisinnius,
the most distinguished catholicus,
from Aurelius Ammon, son of Peteharbeschinis, a scholar from the city of Panopolis in the Thebaid.
Knowing that quiet and freedom from trouble suits those engaged in philosophy and elevated discourse, I have come compelled by those who are troubling our affairs, having been driven to this protest. For if it were permitted for those who have chosen to withdraw to enjoy their natural freedom of choice until the end, it would have been profitable for me as well. But envy always pursues good things...
Some time ago, my brother instructed me to bring certain slaves up to the Thebaid... I brought them according to my brother's instructions... I left an agreement with Komon himself, having received from him a promise that upon my brother's return he would restore the slaves, expecting his return shortly.
But recently, a rumor spread that he had died...
(They claimed) that my brother had died without heirs and that the slaves were now ownerless, and they had obtained them by petition from the divine fortune of our victorious masters.
When this man was in Alexandria and learned that Harpocration had a brother of the same father and mother, namely myself, Ammon, he immediately went up to the Thebaid...
But since I was greatly disturbed by the strangeness of the matter and almost felt beside myself, seeing those who wished to treat our property as if it were confiscated or something similar...