Ζήνωνι χαίρειν. καλῶς ποιοῖς εἰ ἔρρωσαι. ἔρρωμαι δὲ καὶ αὐτός. ἐπίστασαι ὡς κατέλιπές με ἐν Συρίαι μετὰ Κρότου καὶ ἐποίουν πάντα τὰ προστασσόμενα τὰ κατὰ καμήλους καὶ ἤμην σο[ι] ἀνέγκλητος. σοῦ δὲ προστάξαντός μοι ὀψώνιον δίδόναι ἃ σὺ συνέταξας οὐκ ἐδίδου μοι οὐθὲν. ἐπεὶ δὴ πολλάκις μου δεομένου διδόναι μοι ἃ σὺ συνέταξας οὐκ ἐδίδου μοι οὐθὲν Κρότος, ἀλλʼ ἐκέλευέ μοι ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι, χρόνον μὲν οὖν πολὺν ἐκαρτέρουν σε προσδεχόμενος, ἐπεὶ δὲ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐνδεὴς ἤμην καὶ οὐθὲν ἠδυνάμην οὐδαμόθεν πορίζειν, ἠναγκάσθην ἀποτρέχειν εἰς Συρίαν ἵνα μὴ τῶι λιμῶι παραπόλωμαι. ἔγραψα οὖν σοι ἵνα εἰδῆις ὅτι Κρότος αἴτιος. σοῦ δὲ πάλιν με ἀποστείλαντος εἰς Φιλαδέλφειαν πρὸς Ἰάσονα καὶ ποιοῦντός μου πάντα τὰ προστασσόμενα, ἃ σύ μοι συνέταξας οὐθέν μοι δίδωι ἤδη μηνῶν ἑννέα τὸ ἔλαιον οὐ δὲ σῖτον ἀλλὰ παρὰ δίμηνον ὅταν καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ποδῶται. ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ θέρος καὶ χειμῶνα ἐν τῶι πόνωι γίνομαι. ὁ δέ μοι συντάσσει ὄξος λαμβάνειν εἰς ὀψώνιον. ἀλλὰ κατεγνώκασί μου ὅτι εἰμὶ βάρβαρος. δέομαι οὖν σου εἴ σοι δοκεῖ συντάξαι αὐτοῖς ὅπως τὰ ὀφειλόμενα κομίσωμαι καὶ τοῦ λοιποῦ εὐτάκτωσίν μοι ἵνα μὴ τῶι λιμῶι παραπόλωμαι ὅτι οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι ἑλληνίζειν. σὺ οὖν καλῶς ἂν ποιήσαις ἐπιστροφήν μου ποιησάμενος. ἐγὼ δὲ εὔχομαι πᾶσι τοῖς θεοῖς καὶ τῶι δαίμονι τοῦ βασιλέως σε ὑγιαίνειν καὶ ἐλθεῖν τὸ τάχος πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὅπως αὐτὸς ἰδῆις ὅτι ἀνέγκλητός εἰμι. ἔρρωσο.
None extracted.
Greetings to Zenon. You are doing well if you are in good health. I am also well. You know that you left me in Syria with Krotos, and I was doing all the things that were commanded regarding the camels, and I was blameless to you. But Krotos, who was supposed to provide me with the provisions you arranged, gave me nothing. Since many times I asked him to give me what you arranged, he gave me nothing, but he ordered me to depart. Therefore, I waited a long time for you, but since I was in need of necessities and could not obtain anything from anywhere, I was compelled to flee to Syria so that I would not perish from hunger. Therefore, I wrote to you so that you may know that Krotos is to blame. Again, when you sent me to Philadelphia to Jason and while he was doing all the things that were commanded for me, he gave me nothing of what you arranged for me for nine months, neither oil nor grain, but only when the garments were to be sent. I am becoming both summer and winter in the sea. He is arranging for me to receive vinegar for provisions. But they have judged me to be a barbarian. Therefore, I ask you, if it seems good to you, to arrange for them so that I may receive what is owed to me and that from now on they may provide for me so that I do not perish from hunger, since I do not know how to speak Greek. Therefore, you would do well to arrange for my return. I pray to all the gods and to the spirit of the king that you may be in good health and come quickly to us so that you may see for yourself that I am blameless. Farewell.