τοῖς παν[αγίο(?)]ις̣ ἀγαπητ̣οῖς [καὶ γλυ-]κυτάτοις [Παι]ηοῦτι πρεσβ[υτέρῳ καὶ] Διοσκορο[ς]
[καὶ] Ἱεραξ
καὶ [ -ca.?- ]
καὶ ἄπα Σ̣[ου]ρ̣οῦ καὶ πᾶσ̣[ι τοῖς ἀδελ-]φοῖς καὶ πᾶ̣σ̣ι̣ τ[οῖ]ς̣ π̣ε̣ρ̣ὶ̣ [ὑμᾶς]
κατʼ ὄν[ο]μα Μ̣ωυσ̣ῆ̣[ς καὶ Ἑριηοῦς(?)]
[οἱ] ὑποδεέστε̣ροι ὑμῶν ἐν [κ(υρί)ῳ χαίρειν.]
πρῶτον
μὲν τὴν προσ̣[κύνησιν ὑμῶν] ποιούμενοι, ἀγαπητοὶ πάτρ[ωνες, ἀγγέλλειν(?)]
θέλωμεν
περὶ τούτου τοῦ ἀγ̣[απητοῦ Παμωνθίου(?)] ὅτι ἐν μεγάλῃ ἀνάγ’κῃ ἐσ[τὶ καὶ αἴσχιστα πέπον-]θεν ὑπό τινων ἀνθρώπ[ων ἀνελεημόν-]ων καὶ ἀθέων, ἵ
ν̣α καὶ ὑμῖ[ς]
[σπουδάσητε(?)] αὐτῷ
χρ̣[̣ ̣ ̣]
καὶ τῆς [ὑ]περβολῆς ὑμῶν ἀ[γά]πην τὴν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ κατοικεῖν. ἀναγ’κ[αί]ως οὖν πάνυ σπουδάσατε αὐτῳ ἀόκνως, ὅτι τὰ τέκνα αὐτοῦ εἰς δουλίαν
ἥρπασαν οἱ δανισταί
· εἰ δὲ ἔχετέ μοι ὡς ἀδελ-φὸν τοῦτον συν̣βοηθήσατε
, ἀγαπητοί,
ὅτι πάνυ σφοδρῶς \ἔ/θλιβε ἡμᾶς οὕτως περὶ ταύτης <τῆς> ἀνάγ’κης, καὶ ἡμῖς
οὐκ ὀκνήσω-μεν
. εἴ τι καὶ εὑρήκαμεν παρεδώκαμεν αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν δύναμιν ἡμῶν ἐποιήσα-μεν. εἴ τι ἐὰν δυνήσατε συνλέξα̣τε ἀργύρια
μετρησον
αὐτά, καὶ γράψατέ μοι περὶ ὧν δε-δώκατε, ἵ
να τὸ ἀσφαλὲς μέθωμεν
, ἵ
να καὶ πισθῶμεν
, ἐπιδὴ
τὰ πολλὰ πλεῖστα ἀργύρια χρεωστῖ
. ὁρα
μὴ ἀμελήσατε, ἀγ[α]πητοί, ἐπι-δὴ
παραπεσουσιν
ὁ ἀ̣δ̣ελφὸς τοια̣υ[τη]ν̣ ἀναγ’κην
ἐ[ρρῶσ]θ̣α̣ί σ̣α̣ι̣
ἐνδίξασθε
οὖν τὴν ἔμφυτον ὑμῶν ἀγάπην καὶ εὐσπαγ’χνία̣[ν]
καὶ τὴν στοργὴν τῆς ὑμῶν πατριότητος.
γράφω σε
οὖν, ἄδελφε Παι’ηου[ς
τ̣αύτ̣ην τὴν ἀνάγ’κην, ἵ
να [-ca.?-]
παν-] τὶ τρόπῳ καὶ κατάστησον [-ca.?-]
αὐτῷ παρὰ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, ἵ
να [-ca.?-]
δοῦσιν
· οἶδα γὰρ
ὅτι πόλλυ
ψ
[-ca.?-]
καὶ ἀπό̣σ̣τ̣ε̣λ̣λ̣ε τ̣ο̣ῖ̣ς ἀδελφοῖς [-ca.?-]
ἀσφαλὶν
ἔγραψα ὑμῖν. εἴ τι ἐ[ὰν δυνήσατε συνλέξαι(?)]
παρὰ τοῖς γιτονοις
ἀδελφοῖς [-ca.?-]
ἀσφ]α-
λ̣ὴ̣ν̣ καὶ σφράγιζον αὐτὴν [-ca.?-]
ν̣ο̣σ̣τ̣
αὐτοῦ
ἐγ’γύην αὐτὸν ἔλαβα παρὰ τῶν στρατιωτῶν π̣ε̣ν̣τακοσίω(ν) ταλάντων κεφάλεον
καὶ τόκον, (ταλάντων)
(No Latin text was extracted from the document.)
To the most holy beloved ones and sweetest Paeon, elder and Dioscorus, and Hierax, and all the brothers and all those concerning you, in the name of Moses and Herius, the lesser ones among you greet you in the Lord. First, we wish to make known your worship, beloved patrons, concerning this beloved Pamonthius, that he is in great need and has suffered most shamefully at the hands of certain merciless and godless men, so that you also may take care of him. Therefore, be very diligent, since his children have been seized into slavery by the lenders. If you regard this man as a brother, help him, beloved, for we are greatly distressed concerning this need, and we will not hesitate. If we have found anything, we have delivered it to him, but we have also acted beyond our ability. If you are able to collect silver, measure it out, and write to me about what you have given, so that we may be secure, so that we may also be assured, since there are many debts of silver. Take care not to neglect, beloved, since the brother will fall into such a need. I pray that you may be well. Therefore, show your innate love and compassion and the affection of your homeland. I write to you, brother Paeon, this need, so that you may establish it in some way and arrange for him among the brothers, so that they may give. For I know that you will send much and I have written to you securely. If you are able to collect from the neighboring brothers, secure it and seal it. I received this pledge from the soldiers of five hundred talents and interest.
τοῖς παν[αγίο(?)]ις̣ ἀγαπητ̣οῖς [καὶ γλυ-]
κυτάτοις [Παι]ηοῦτι πρεσβ[υτέρῳ καὶ]
Διοσκόρῳ καὶ Ἱέρακι καὶ [ -ca.?- ]
καὶ ἄπα Σ̣[ου]ρ̣οῦ καὶ πᾶσ̣[ι τοῖς ἀδελ-]
φοῖς καὶ πᾶ̣σ̣ι̣ τ[οῖ]ς̣ π̣ε̣ρ̣ὶ̣ [ὑμᾶς]
κατʼ ὄν[ο]μα Μ̣ωυσ̣ῆ̣[ς καὶ Ἑριηοῦς(?)]
[οἱ] ὑποδεέστε̣ροι ὑμῶν ἐν [κ(υρί)ῳ χαίρειν.]
πρῶτον μὲν τὴν προσ̣[κύνησιν ὑμῶν]
ποιούμενοι, ἀγαπητοὶ πάτρ[ωνες, ἀγγέλλειν(?)]
θέλομεν περὶ τούτου τοῦ ἀγ̣[απητοῦ Παμωνθίου(?)]
ὅτι ἐν μεγάλῃ ἀνάγκῃ ἐσ[τὶ καὶ αἴσχιστα πέπον-]
θεν ὑπό τινων ἀνθρώπ[ων ἀνελεημόν-]
ων καὶ ἀθέων, ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς [σπουδάσητε(?)]
αὐτῷ καὶ τῆς [ὑ]περβολῆς ὑμῶν ἀ[γά]πην τὴν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ
κατοικεῖν. ἀναγκαίως οὖν πάνυ σπουδάσατε
αὐτῷ ἀόκνως, ὅτι τὰ τέκνα αὐτοῦ εἰς δουλείαν
ἥρπασαν οἱ δανεισταί· εἰ δὲ ἔχετέ μοι ὡς ἀδελ-
φὸν τοῦτον συνβοηθήσατε, ἀγαπητοί,
ὅτι πάνυ σφοδρῶς ἔθλιβε ἡμᾶς οὕτως περὶ
ταύτης τῆς ἀνάγκης, καὶ ἡμεῖς οὐκ ὀκνήσο-
μεν. εἴ τι καὶ εὑρήκαμεν παρεδώκαμεν αὐτῷ,
ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν δύναμιν ἡμῶν ἐποιήσα-
μεν. εἴ τι ἐὰν δυνήσατε συνλέξατε ἀργύρια
μέτρησατε αὐτά, καὶ γράψατέ μοι περὶ ὧν δε-
δώκατε, ἵνα τὸ ἀσφαλὲς μάθωμεν, ἵνα καὶ
πεισθῶμεν, ἐπειδὴ τὰ πολλὰ πλεῖστα ἀργύρια
χρεωστεῖ. ὁρᾶτε μὴ ἀμελήσατε, ἀγαπητοί, ἐπει-
δὴ παραπεσεῖται ὁ ἀδελφὸς τοιαύτῃ ἀνάγκῃ.
ἐρρῶσθαί σε εὔχομαι.
ἐνδείξασθε οὖν τὴν ἔμφυτον ὑμῶν ἀγάπην καὶ εὐσπλαγχνίαν
καὶ τὴν στοργὴν τῆς ὑμῶν πατριότητος.
γράφω σοι οὖν, ἄδελφε Παιήους, ταύτην τὴν ἀνάγκην, ἵνα
παντὶ τρόπῳ καὶ κατάστησον αὐτῷ παρὰ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, ἵνα
δῶσιν· οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι πόλυ καὶ ἀπόστελλε τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς
ἀσφαλὴν ἔγραψα ὑμῖν. εἴ τι ἐὰν δυνήσατε συνλέξαι
παρὰ τοῖς γείτοσιν ἀδελφοῖς ἀσφαλὴν καὶ σφράγιζον αὐτὴν.
ἐγγύην αὐτὸν ἔλαβα παρὰ τῶν στρατιωτῶν πεντακοσίων
ταλάντων κεφάλαιον καὶ τόκον, (ταλάντων) ω.
To the most holy beloved and sweetest [brothers], Paieous the elder and Dioskoros and Hierax and [others?], and Apa Sourous and all the brothers and all those around you, Moses and Herieous(?), your humble servants in the Lord, greetings.
First, beloved patrons, having paid our respects, we wish to inform you concerning this beloved Pamonthios(?), that he is in great distress and has suffered terribly at the hands of certain merciless and godless men. Therefore, may you also diligently help him, and may your abundant love dwell in heaven. Thus, urgently and without hesitation, help him, because his children have been seized into slavery by creditors. If you regard me as a brother, help him, beloved ones, for this distress has greatly afflicted us as well, and we ourselves have not hesitated. Whatever we have found, we have given to him, even beyond our means. If you can, collect some money, count it, and write to me about what you have given, so that we may know securely and be assured, since he owes a very large sum of money. Take care not to neglect this, beloved ones, lest the brother fall into such distress. I pray for your good health.
Therefore, demonstrate your innate love and compassion and the affection of your community.
Thus, I write to you, brother Paieous, about this distress, so that by every means you may arrange it among the brothers, so that they may give. For I know that you greatly [care?], and send securely to the brothers. I have written to you securely. If you can collect anything from the neighboring brothers, secure it and seal it. I have taken a guarantee for him from the soldiers for five hundred talents principal and interest, (talents) 800.