Extracted Text

Koine Greek

Σῶσος Διοσ[κουρ]ίδῃ τῷ ἀδελ-
φῷ τῷ φίλῳ πατρὶ τῇ ἐλπίδι
τῇ ἐμῇ χαίρεν
λέγω̣ δέ σ̣ο̣ι̣ 'εἰ ἐρρω̣[
ο̣ι καὶ̣ τ̣ὰ λο̣ι̣π̣ὰ̣ π̣ά̣[ν]τ̣α̣ κ̣α̣[τὰ]
λόγον ἐστί̣.' ἐ̣νομι̣σ̣α̣ιναν Ῥοδοκλή̣[
τὴν βλέψιν περιγεγενῆσθαι. τὸ μὲ̣[ν]
γὰρ 'ἔρρωμαι δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς' γράφιν
εὔηθες μοι ἐδόκι
εἶναι, οὐ γ̣ὰ̣ρ̣ ἔ̣ρρω̣μ̣[αι],
ἀλλὰ ἐν τῇ μεγίστῃ ἀτυχίᾳ εἰμί,
καίπερ ὑπὸ τ̣ῶν σῶν παρακλήσ̣[ε]ω̣[ν]
πολύ τι μ̣ε̣τ̣α̣κ̣ε̣κ̣λ̣η[μ]έ̣ν̣ο̣ς̣, ὦ Διοσ̣κ̣[ου-]
ρίδ̣η̣, ὅμως̣ δ̣ὲ ο̣ὖν οὔπ̣ω̣ δ̣ύνομαι
δ̣ύνομαι λῆξ̣αι
προσ̣
τ̣η [π]ε̣ρὶ ἐ̣μὲ δυστυχίᾳ
ἵνα τ̣ὸ παν̣[
ν̣[
ι̣ς̣ ἀ̣ποχωρι̣ς̣[
πάντων ε̣
η κ̣α̣ὶ̣ τ̣ῶν τ̣ι̣μ̣ί̣ω̣ν
ο̣υ
ε̣ τ̣ὰ πέρυσ̣ι̣ ἐποίη̣σ̣ε, π[α]ρὰ δὲ Κασσάν-
δρας̣ πᾶν̣ ἱ̣κ̣α̣νόν μοι γινόμε̣νο̣ν σὺν
ἀλι̣π\ε/ίᾳ, ἐγὼ δὲ̣ ο̣ὐ ἡντινοῦ<ν> σοι χρήα̣ν̣
δεδύν̣η̣[μ]α̣ι̣ π̣α̣ρ̣[ασ]χ̣έ̣σ̣θ̣α̣[ι], ἀ̣λ̣λ̣ὰ̣ οὐδὲ ἐ̣μ-
<α>υτῷ μὰ τὴν̣ σ̣ὴ̣ν σωτηρίαν, ε̣ἰ μή τι ἓν καὶ
ἕν. ἐν γὰρ τῷ Θεσμοφορίῳ οὔσ̣ης Ῥοδοκλήα\ς/
ἀνακ̣άζομαι
ἐκῖ
αὐτῇ διακονῖν
, οὐ γὰ<ρ> ἔ̣χο-
μεν οὐθένα. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν οὕτως.
σὺ δὲ χαριῇ μοι μεγάλως, οὐ μ̣όνον δὲ
ἐμοί, ἀλλὰ ὅλῃ τῇ π̣όλι̣
, ἐπιμελόμενος σ̣δῦ
, ἵνα ὑγιαίνων ἔρχ̣η̣` πρός τε τὴν ἀδελφὴν
καὶ τὰ παιδία καὶ̣ π̣ά̣ν̣τ̣ας τοὺς φίλους·
τούτου γὰρ ἡμῖν, μὰ τὸν Ἡρακλῆ, οὐθὲν
μέγιστόν ἐστιν.
(ἔτους)
κ̣
ἔ[ρ]ρωσο Μεσο̣ρὴ̣
δ
Σῶσος
Διοσκουρίδηι
(hand 2) (ἔτους)
κ̣
Μεσ[ορ]ὴ
ιϛ̣
τῷ Ἱέ̣ρων̣ι φ̣έροι.
Παώτῃ.

Latin

(No Latin text was extracted from the document.)

Translation into English

"Sosos to Dioscurides, to my dear brother, father, in my hope, greetings.
I say to you, 'If you are well, all the rest is according to reason.' I thought that Rhodokles would have a favorable view. For it is written, 'I am well, and I myself.' It seemed to me to be very simple, for I am not well, but I am in the greatest misfortune, although I am greatly comforted by your encouragement, O Dioscurides. Nevertheless, I am not yet able to cease from my misfortune, so that I may be separated from all things.
And the honors that you have done for me last year, and everything that is possible for me, along with the kindness, I do not need anything from you, but I do not even need it for my own salvation, unless it is one and the same. For in the Thesmophoria, being Rhodokles, I am compelled to serve there, for we have no one else. But these things are thus.
You, however, greatly favor me, not only for me, but for the whole city, taking care that I may come healthy to my sister and the children and all the friends; for this is nothing great for us, by Heracles.
(Year) Sosos Dioscurides (hand 2) (Year) to Hieron, may he bring.
To Paotis."

Extracted Koine Greek Text

Σῶσος Διοσ[κουρ]ίδῃ τῷ ἀδελ-
φῷ τῷ φίλῳ πατρὶ τῇ ἐλπίδι
τῇ ἐμῇ χαίρειν.
λέγω δέ σοι 'εἰ ἐρρω[
...]
οἱ καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ πάντα κα[τὰ]
λόγον ἐστί.' ἐνομίσαιναν Ῥοδοκλή[
...]
τὴν βλέψιν περιγεγενῆσθαι. τὸ μὲ[ν]
γὰρ 'ἔρρωμαι δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς' γράφειν
σοι εὔηθες μοι ἐδόκει εἶναι, οὐ γὰρ ἔρρωμ[αι],
ἀλλὰ ἐν τῇ μεγίστῃ ἀτυχίᾳ εἰμί,
καίπερ ὑπὸ τῶν σῶν παρακλήσεων
πολύ τι μετακεκλημένος, ὦ Διοσκ[ου-]
ρίδη, ὅμως δὲ οὖν οὔπω δύναμαι
λῆξαι προσ[...] τῇ περὶ ἐμὲ δυστυχίᾳ
ἵνα τὸ παν[...] ἀποχωρις[...]
πάντων [...] καὶ τῶν τιμίων
οὐ[...]ε τὰ πέρυσι ἐποίησε, παρὰ δὲ Κασσάν-
δρας πᾶν ἱκανόν μοι γινόμενον σὺν
ἀλιπείᾳ, ἐγὼ δὲ οὐδʼ ἡντινοῦν σοι χρείαν
δεδύνημαι παρασχέσθαι, ἀλλὰ οὐδὲ ἐμ-
αυτῷ μὰ τὴν σὴν σωτηρίαν, εἰ μή τι ἓν καὶ
ἕν. ἐν γὰρ τῷ Θεσμοφορίῳ οὔσης Ῥοδοκλήας
ἀναγκάζομαι ἐκεῖ αὐτῇ διακονεῖν, οὐ γὰρ ἔχο-
μεν οὐθένα. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν οὕτως.
σὺ δὲ χαριῇ μοι μεγάλως, οὐ μόνον δὲ
ἐμοί, ἀλλὰ ὅλῃ τῇ πόλει, ἐπιμελόμενος σοῦ,
ἵνα ὑγιαίνων ἔρχῃ πρός τε τὴν ἀδελφὴν
καὶ τὰ παιδία καὶ πάντας τοὺς φίλους·
τούτου γὰρ ἡμῖν, μὰ τὸν Ἡρακλῆ, οὐθὲν
μέγιστόν ἐστιν.
(ἔτους) κ[...] ἔρρωσο Μεσορὴ δ
Σῶσος Διοσκουρίδηι
(ἔτους) κ[...] Μεσορὴ ιϛ τῷ Ἱέρωνι φέροι.
Παώτῃ.

English Translation

Sosos to Dioskourides, my brother, my dear friend, my father, my hope, greetings.
I tell you, "If you are well [...] and everything else is according to reason." They thought that Rhodokles had recovered his sight. For to write to you "I myself am also well" seemed foolish to me, for I am not well, but I am in the greatest misfortune. Although greatly comforted by your encouragements, O Dioskourides, nevertheless I am still unable to cease from [...] the misfortune concerning myself, so that everything [...] depart [...] of all [...] even of the valuable things which he made last year. But from Kassandra everything sufficient comes to me without pain, yet I have not been able to provide you with any help at all, nor even myself, by your salvation, except perhaps one thing or another. For during the Thesmophoria, since Rhodoklea is there, I am compelled to serve her there, for we have no one else. But enough about these things.
You will greatly please me—and not only me, but the whole city—by taking care of yourself, so that you may come in good health to your sister, your children, and all your friends. For this, by Herakles, is the greatest thing for us.
(Year) k[...] Farewell. Mesore 4.
Sosos to Dioskourides.
(Year) k[...] Mesore 16. Deliver to Hieron.
Paote.