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.
Ζήνωνι χαίρειν. καλῶς ποιεῖς εἰ ἔρρωσαι. ἔρρωμαι δὲ καὶ αὐτός. ἐπίστασαι ὡς κατέλιπές με ἐν Συρίαι μετὰ Κρότου καὶ ἐποίουν πάντα τὰ προστασσόμενα τὰ κατὰ τὰς καμήλους καὶ ἤμην σοι ἀνέγκλητος. σοῦ δὲ προστάξαντός μοι ὀψώνιον διδόναι ἃ σὺ συνέταξας οὐκ ἐδίδου μοι οὐθέν. ἐπεὶ δὴ πολλάκις μου δεομένου διδόναι μοι ἃ σὺ συνέταξας οὐκ ἐδίδου μοι οὐθὲν Κρότος, ἀλλʼ ἐκέλευέν με 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 δίδωσι ἤδη μηνῶν ἑννέα τὸ ἔλαιον οὐδὲ σῖτον ἀλλὰ παρὰ δίμηνον ὅταν καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ἀποδῶται. ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ θέρος καὶ χειμῶνα ἐν τῷ πόνῳ γίνομαι. ὁ δέ μοι συντάσσει ὄξος λαμβάνειν εἰς ὀψώνιον. ἀλλὰ κατεγνώκασίν 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.
To Zenon, greetings. You do well if you are in good health. I myself am also well. You know that you left me in Syria with Krotos, and I was doing everything ordered concerning the camels, and I was blameless towards you. But although you had ordered that I be given provisions, which you had arranged, he gave me nothing. Since I often asked Krotos to give me what you had arranged, he gave me nothing, but instead ordered me to leave. For a long time, therefore, I endured, waiting for you. But when I was lacking necessities and could obtain nothing from anywhere, I was forced to flee to Syria lest I perish from hunger. Therefore, I have written to you so that you may know that Krotos is responsible. Again, when you sent me to Philadelphia to Jason, and I was doing everything ordered, he has given me nothing of what you arranged for nine months now—neither oil nor grain, except every two months when he also gives out clothing. Yet I labor both summer and winter. He orders me to take vinegar as provisions. But they have despised me because I am a barbarian. Therefore, I beg you, if it seems good to you, to instruct them so that I may receive what is owed to me and that henceforth they may treat me properly, lest I perish from hunger, for I do not know how to speak Greek. You would do well, therefore, to take care of my situation. I pray to all the gods and to the spirit of the king that you remain healthy and come quickly to us, so that you yourself may see that I am blameless. Farewell.