ἵνα μάθῃ ἡ ἡμετέρα μεγαλοπρε(πεστάτη) ἀδελφότης ὡς χθές, ἥτις ἦν τετάρτη τοῦ παρόντος μηνός, ἐδεξάμην γράμματα παρὰ τοῦ δεσπότου μου τοῦ πανευφήμου δουκὸς διὰ Σεργίου τοῦ πεμφθέντος στρατιώτου χάριν τῶν φυγόντων καλαφάτων ὡς, εἰ εὑρεθείη παρεάσαντες ἕνα καὶ μόνον, ἵνα δώσατε νο(μίσματα) ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, καὶ κινδυνεύσατε εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν ὑμῶν. ἐάν δὲ εἰσὶν ξένοι καλαφάται εἰς τὴν παγαρχίαν ὑμῶν, καὶ τούτους κρατήσατε καὶ πέμψατε ὑπὸ ξυλομαγγάνον.
ἴσον σιγελλίου πεμφθέντος μοι παρὰ τοῦ δεσπότου μου τοῦ εὐκλεεστάτου ἀμιρᾶ· ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ Θεοῦ, Ἰορδάνης τοῖς ἅπασι παγάρχοις Θηβαίδος· ἐπειδὴ οἱ καλαφάται οἱ κάμνοντες εἰς τοὺς καράβους Βαβυλῶνος ἔφυγαν, καὶ ἐπετρέψαμεν τῷ ὑμετέρῳ τοποτηρητῇ μὴ ἐᾶσαι ἕνα καὶ μόνον καλαφάτην καὶ μὴ πέμψι τοῦτον πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἀλλὰ ὁ κρατῶν καλαφάτην ἢ κρύβων ἵνα δώσῃ νο(μίσματα), ἐὰν εὐπορεῖ, ἐπιτρέψαντες αὐτῷ ὑποδεῖξαι ὑμῖν τω παρὸν σιγέλλιν· λοιπὸν ὥσδεις οὐκ ἐκδίδῃ ἑαυτὸν καὶ πέμπει ὑμῖν ἕκαστον καλαφάτην ὄντα εἰς τὴν διοίκησιν αὐτοῦ μετὰ τω θεωρῆσαι καὶ ἀναγνωσθῆναι αὐτὸν τὸ τοιοῦτο σιγέλλιν, παρεάσας ἕνα καὶ μόνον, οὐ δεχόμεθα τὴν ὑπόστασιν αὐτοῦ ἀντὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ. λοιπὸν, ὡς λέλεκται, τοὺς καλαφάτας συνάξατε καὶ εἰς τὰ ἐξαλεπτικὰ σκάφη ὑμῶν πέμψατε. καὶ πρὸς τω ὑμᾶς μὴ ἀμφιβάλαι τῷ παρόντι σιγελλίῳ ἐχρησάμην. κατόπιν δὲ τῶν παρόντων μου γραμμάτων ὑπέταξα τὸ πεμφθέν μοι σιγέλλιν παρὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ εὐκλεστάτου ἀμιρᾶ διαδικ.
τῷ θεοφυλάκτῳ μου δεσπότῃ (καὶ) ἀδελφῷ Παπᾷ τῷ παγάρχῳ Ἀπόλλωνος Ἄνω Ἑλλάδιος
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In order that our most magnificent brotherhood may learn as yesterday, which was the fourth of the current month, I received letters from my lord the most illustrious duke through Sergius the sent soldier for the sake of the fleeing calafates, as if one and only one should be found, that you may give coins for him, and risk your souls. But if there are foreign calafates in your jurisdiction, keep them and send them under the wood-mangler.
Equal to the sent sigellion from my lord the most illustrious amir: In the name of God, Jordan to all the governors of Thebes: since the calafates who were working have fled to the ships of Babylon, and we have permitted your steward not to allow one and only one calafate and not to send him to you, but the one who holds a calafate or hides in order to give coins, if he is able, having permitted him to show you the present sigellion; henceforth he does not deliver himself and sends you each calafate being into his administration after you have seen and recognized him as such sigellion, having presented one and only one, we do not accept his existence instead of his soul. Therefore, as it has been said, gather the calafates and send them into your exalting vessels. And do not doubt to the present sigellion I have used. After the present letters of mine, I have submitted the sigellion sent to me from the same most illustrious amir.
To my God-loving lord (and) brother Papa to the governor of Apollo Upper Hellas.
[† ἵνα] μάθῃ ἡ ἡμετέρα μεγαλοπρε(πεστάτη) ἀδελφότης ὡς χθές, ἥτ[ις] ἦν τετάρτη τοῦ παρόντος μηνός, ἐδεξάμην [γράμ]ματα [παρὰ τ]οῦ δεσπότου μου τοῦ πανευφ[ήμ]ου δουκὸς διὰ Σεργ̣ί̣ο̣υ̣ τ̣ο̣ῦ̣ πεμφθ(έντος) στρατιώτ(ου) χ[άριν τῶν φυγόν]τ̣[ων καλα]φ(α)τ(ῶν) [ὡς, εἰ εὑρ]εθείη παρεά[σα]ντ[ες ἕνα κα]ὶ μόνον, ἵνα δώσατε νο(μίσματα) Α ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, [κ]αὶ κινδυνεύσατε εἰς τὴν ψυχ[ὴν] ὑ̣μ̣ῶν. ἐάν δὲ εἰσὶν ξένοι καλαφ[ά]τ[αι] ε[ἰς τ]ὴν παγαρχ(ίαν) ὑμῶν, καὶ τούτους κρατήσατε καὶ πέμψατε ὑπὸ ξυλομαγγάνον.
ἴσο(ν) σιγελλίου πεμφθ(έντος) μοι π[αρ(ὰ) τοῦ δ]ε[σ]πό(του) μου τοῦ εὐκλε(εστάτου) ἀμιρᾶ· † ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ Θεοῦ, Ἰορδ[άν]ης τοῖς ἅπασι παγάρχ(οις) Θηβαίδος· ἐπειδὴ οἱ καλαφ(ά)τ(αι) οἱ κάμνοντες εἰς τοὺς καράβους Βαβυλῶνος [ἔ]φυγαν, καὶ ἐπετρέψαμεν τῷ ὑμετέρῳ τοποτηρητῇ μὴ ἐᾶσαι ἕνα καὶ μόνον καλαφ(ά)τ(ην) καὶ μὴ πέμψαι τοῦτον πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ ὁ κρατῶν καλαφ(ά)τ(ην) ἢ κρύβων ἵνα δώσῃ νο(μίσματα) Α, ἐὰν εὐπορεῖ, ἐπιτρέψαντες αὐτ(ῷ) ὑποδεῖξαι ὑμῖν τὸ παρὸ(ν) σιγέλλιν· λοιπὸν ὅστις οὐκ ἐκδίδῃ ἑαυτὸν καὶ πέμπει ὑμῖν ἕκαστον καλαφ(ά)τ(ην) ὄντα εἰς τὴν διοίκησιν αὐτοῦ μετὰ τὸ θεωρῆσαι καὶ ἀναγνωσθ[ῆναι] αὐτὸν τὸ τοιοῦτο σιγέλλιν, π[α]ρεάσας ἕνα καὶ μόνον, οὐ δεχόμεθα τὴν ὑπόστασιν αὐτοῦ ἀντὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ. λοιπ[ὸν, ὡς] λέ[λεκτα]ι̣, τ[ο]ὺς καλαφ(ά)τ(ας) συνάξατε καὶ εἰς τὰ ἐξαλειπτικὰ σκάφη ὑμῶν πέμψατε. καὶ πρὸς τὸ ὑμ̣[ᾶ]ς μὴ ἀμφιβάλαι τῷ παρόντ(ι) σιγελλίῳ ἐχρησάμην. κατόπιν δὲ τῶν παρόντ(ων) μου γραμμ(ά)τ(ων) [ὑ]π̣[έταξα] τὸ πεμφθέν μοι σιγέλλιν παρὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ εὐκλε(εστάτου) ἀμιρᾶ διαδικ( )
† τῷ θ[εοφυλ(άκτῳ) μου δεσπότῃ (καὶ) ἀδελφῷ] Παπᾷ τῷ παγ(άρ)χ(ῳ) Ἀπόλλω(νος) Ἄνω † Ἑλλάδ[ιος †]
[† So that] our most magnificent brotherhood may know that yesterday, which was the fourth of the present month, I received letters from my lord, the most renowned duke, through Sergios, the soldier who was sent concerning the fugitive caulkers, [that if] even one single [caulker] should be found hidden, you must pay gold coins for him and risk your own souls. But if there are foreign caulkers in your district, seize them also and send them under guard.
Copy of a sigillion sent to me by my lord, the most glorious emir: † In the name of God, Jordanes to all the pagarchs of the Thebaid: Since the caulkers working on the ships of Babylon have fled, we have instructed your deputy not to allow even one single caulker nor to send him to us, but whoever holds or hides a caulker must pay gold coins, if he is able, after allowing him to show you this present sigillion. Therefore, whoever does not surrender himself and sends to you every caulker in his jurisdiction after examining and reading this sigillion, if he hides even one single caulker, we will not accept his excuse in place of his own soul. Therefore, as has been said, gather the caulkers and send them to your repair ships. And so that you may have no doubt, I have used this present sigillion. After my present letters, I have appended the sigillion sent to me by the same most glorious emir...
† To my God-protected lord and brother, Papas, pagarch of Upper Apollonopolis, † Helladios †