Κλαύδιος Τερ[εν]τιανὸ[ς] Κλαυδίῳ Τιβερ[ι]ανῷ τῷ κυρίῳ [κ]αὶ πατρὶ πλ[εῖστα] χαίρειν.
πρὸ μὲν πάντων εὔχομαί σε ὑγιαίνειν καὶ εὐτυχεῖν μοι, ὅ μοι εὐκταῖόν ἐστιν,
ὑγιαίνω δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ ποιούμενός σου τὸ προσκύνημα καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν παρὰ τῷ κυρίῳ Σεράπιδι καὶ τοῖς συννάοις θεοῖς. γεινώσκειν σε θέλω, πατήρ,
κεκομικασ[θ]αι με παρὰ Ἀχιλλᾶτος καλάθιον. ὁμοίως καὶ ἄλλο καλάθιόν μο[ι] ἐδόθη ὑπὸ [τοῦ] στρατιώτου, ἐν ᾧ εὗρον ἄρτους μεγάλους δύο καὶ φοινίκια καρ- υο̣τά, καὶ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς Ἰουλίου σφυριδάλλιον καὶ τὰ ταλάριά μου καὶ θήκην μαχαιρίου.
ἔπεμψέ μοι φάσιν περὶ γυναικός, γνώμην μου λαμ- βάνων ἐω̣νεῖ̣τ̣ό̣ μοι. πάλαι ἂν πρὸ διετίας ἐσχήκειν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν μ[ο]υ ἀλλὰ̣ ο̣[ὐ]κ̣ ἐπέτρεψα [ἐ]μαυτῷ οὐδὲ ἐπιτρέπω δίχα σου λαβεῖν τ[ι]να καὶ το̣υ̣νπαλιν οὐκ ἔχεις ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ ἀκ̣[οῦ]σαι περὶ τοῦ πράγμα- [το]ς τούτ[ου]. ε̣ἴ π̣ο̣ύ̣ ἐστιν ἣν ἐὰν δοκῇ μ[ο]ι κατενέγκαι ἡ δυναμένη μᾶλλο[ν ὑ]πὲρ ἐμο̣ῦ̣ σοι εὐνοεῖν καὶ φροντίζειν σου πλείω ἐμοῦ, δια- τ[ε]λεῖτα[ι] ἐμέ [σο]ι εὐχαρ[ι]στεῖν ἤ συ ἐμὲ μέμψασθαι.
διὰ τοῦτο ἕως σήμερον γυνὴ οὐκ εἰσῆλθέ μου εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν εἰ μὴ ἣν σὺ δοκι- μάσῃς. [σὺ] δὲ οἶδες σατῷ πάλιν ὅτι ἐκπλέξας σου τὰ μετέωρα ἔχω ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ α[̣ σ]ὺ μένεις τὸν χρόνον σου τῆς ζοῆς ἀκείνητός μου γυ- [ναι]κὸς ἀποτάσσομαι. εἰ δὲ οὔ, ἣν ἂν δοκιμάσῃς ταύτην κἀγὼ θέ- [λω]. νυκτ[ό]ς σοι ἔγραψα [τ]ὴν ἐπιστολὴν ταύτην εὑρὼν εὐκαιρίαν, οὐ δὲ δεδυνημένος σοι πέμψαι.
καλῶς ποιήσεις ἀντι- [γρ]ά̣ψ̣α̣ς̣ μοι περὶ τῆς σωτηρίας σου καὶ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς τὴν ἀν- [τι]φώ̣[νησ]ι̣ν. ἄσπασαι πάντες τοὺς ἐκ τοῦ Καισαρείου κατʼ ὄνομα.
ἄσπασ[αι] Δίδυμον τὸν νομικὸν πανοικί. ἐρεῖς δὲ Λονγείνῳ ὅτι ἐλπ̣[ίζω] π̣ά̣λ̣ι̣ν ἀναβῆναι. ἓν δὲ εὐχαριστῶ τοῖς θεοῖς ὅτι πλείον[ας] δέδωκά σο[ι] τῶν ὀκτὼ δραχμῶν, εἰ μή, τὸ αὐτὸ ἦν.
καὶ ἐὰν [ἀ]ναβῇς εἰς Ἀρσινοείτην ὕπαγε παρὰ Κουρσίλλαν καὶ δέ- ξ̣αι τοὺς πέντε κορμοὺς τῶν ξύλων καὶ κατενέγκεις αὐτὰ ἐρχόμ[ε]νος καὶ ἂν ἄλλα δυνασθῇς κατενέγκαι ἡμεῖν εἰς τὸν χειμωναν.
ἀσπάζεταί σε Ἐπιτυγχάνων.
ἄσπασαι πάντες τοὺς φιλοῦντε̣ς̣ [ἡμᾶς] κατʼ ὄνομα.
ἀπόδ(ος) Κλαυδίῳ Τιβεριαν[ῷ]
λε(γιῶνος) στρα(τιώτου).
Claudius Terentianus to Claudius Tiberianus, my lord and father, greetings.
First of all, I wish you to be in good health and to be fortunate, which is what I pray for.
I myself am also in good health, making your worship every day before the lord Serapis and the associated gods. I want you to know, father,
that I have received a basket from Achilles. Likewise, another basket was given to me by the soldier, in which I found two large loaves and dates,
and from my father Julius a hammer and my tools and a knife sheath. You sent me a message about a woman, taking my opinion into account.
It has been a long time since I have been able to enter my house, but I have not allowed myself to take anyone without you, nor do I allow it.
You have no right to hear from me about this matter. If there is any woman whom you think I can bring, I would rather be favorable to you and care for you more than for myself.
It is better for me to thank you than for you to blame me. For this reason, until today, no woman has entered my house unless you have approved her.
But you know that I have kept your affairs in mind. You remain in your time of life, I am separating from that woman of mine.
If not, whichever you approve, I also want.
I wrote this letter to you at night, having found the opportunity, but I was not able to send it to you.
You will do well to write back to me about your safety and the response to the letter.
Greet all those from Caesarea by name.
Greet Didymus the lawyer. You will tell Longinus that I hope to rise again.
And I thank the gods that I have given you more than eight drachmas, unless it was the same.
And if you go up to Arsinoe, go to Kursillan and receive the five logs of wood and bring them back when you come, and if you can bring us anything else for the winter.
Epitynchus greets you.
Greet all those who love us by name.
Κλαύδιος Τερεντιανὸς Κλαυδίῳ Τιβεριανῷ τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ πατρὶ πλεῖστα χαίρειν.
πρὸ μὲν πάντων εὔχομαί σε ὑγιαίνειν καὶ εὐτυχεῖν μοι, ὅ μοι εὐκταῖόν ἐστιν, ὑγιαίνω δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ ποιούμενός σου τὸ προσκύνημα καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν παρὰ τῷ κυρίῳ Σεράπιδι καὶ τοῖς συννάοις θεοῖς. γινώσκειν σε θέλω, πατήρ, κεκομίσθαι με παρὰ Ἀχιλλᾶτος καλάθιον. ὁμοίως καὶ ἄλλο καλάθιόν μοι ἐδόθη ὑπὸ τοῦ στρατιώτου, ἐν ᾧ εὗρον ἄρτους μεγάλους δύο καὶ φοινίκια καρυωτά, καὶ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς Ἰουλίου σφυριδάλλιον καὶ τὰ ταλάριά μου καὶ θήκην μαχαιρίου. ἔπεμψέ μοι φάσιν περὶ γυναικός, γνώμην μου λαμβάνων ἐωνεῖτό μοι. πάλαι ἂν πρὸ διετίας ἐσχήκειν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν μου ἀλλὰ οὐκ ἐπέτρεψα ἐμαυτῷ οὐδὲ ἐπιτρέπω δίχα σου λαβεῖν τινα καὶ τὸ ἔμπαλιν οὐκ ἔχεις ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ ἀκοῦσαι περὶ τοῦ πράγματος τούτου. εἴ πού ἐστιν ἣν ἐὰν δοκῇ μοι κατενέγκαι ἡ δυναμένη μᾶλλον ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ σοι εὐνοεῖν καὶ φροντίζειν σου πλείω ἐμοῦ, διατελεῖται ἐμέ σοι εὐχαριστεῖν ἤ σε ἐμὲ μέμψασθαι. διὰ τοῦτο ἕως σήμερον γυνὴ οὐκ εἰσῆλθέ μου εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν εἰ μὴ ἣν σὺ δοκιμάσῃς. σὺ δὲ οἶδας σεαυτῷ πάλιν ὅτι ἐκπλέξας σου τὰ μετέωρα ἔχω [...] σὺ μένεις τὸν χρόνον σου τῆς ζωῆς ἀκίνητός μου γυναικὸς ἀποτάσσομαι. εἰ δὲ οὔ, ἣν ἂν δοκιμάσῃς ταύτην καὶ ἐγὼ θέλω. νυκτὸς σοι ἔγραψα τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ταύτην εὑρὼν εὐκαιρίαν, οὐ δὲ δεδυνημένος σοι πέμψαι. καλῶς ποιήσεις ἀντιγράψας μοι περὶ τῆς σωτηρίας σου καὶ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς τὴν ἀντιφώνησιν. ἄσπασαι πάντας τοὺς ἐκ τοῦ Καισαρείου κατʼ ὄνομα. ἄσπασαι Δίδυμον τὸν νομικὸν πανοικί. ἐρεῖς δὲ Λονγείνῳ ὅτι ἐλπίζω πάλιν ἀναβῆναι. ἓν δὲ εὐχαριστῶ τοῖς θεοῖς ὅτι πλείονας δέδωκά σοι τῶν ὀκτὼ δραχμῶν, εἰ μή, τὸ αὐτὸ ἦν. καὶ ἐὰν ἀναβῇς εἰς Ἀρσινοείτην ὕπαγε παρὰ Κουρσίλλαν καὶ δέξαι τοὺς πέντε κορμοὺς τῶν ξύλων καὶ κατενέγκεις αὐτὰ ἐρχόμενος καὶ ἂν ἄλλα δυνασθῇς κατενέγκαι ἡμῖν εἰς τὸν χειμῶνα. ἀσπάζεταί σε Ἐπιτυγχάνων. ἄσπασαι πάντας τοὺς φιλοῦντας ἡμᾶς κατʼ ὄνομα.
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ἀπόδ(ος) Κλαυδίῳ Τιβεριανῷ
παρὰ Κλαυδίου Τερεντιανοῦ υἱοῦ λε(γιῶνος) στρα(τιώτου).
Claudius Terentianus to Claudius Tiberianus, my lord and father, very many greetings.
Before all else, I pray that you are in good health and prospering, as is my earnest wish. I myself am also well, making daily supplication for you before the lord Serapis and the gods who share his temple. I want you to know, father, that I have received a small basket from Achillas. Likewise, another small basket was given to me by the soldier, in which I found two large loaves of bread and dates with nuts, and from father Julius a small basket and my clothes and a knife sheath. You sent me a message about a woman, seeking my opinion, intending to buy her for me. Long ago, two years previously, I could have had a woman in my house, but I did not allow myself, nor do I allow myself now, to take anyone without your consent, nor have you heard anything contrary from me about this matter. If there is anywhere a woman whom I might choose, who could care for you more than I do and be more devoted to you than I am, it will result in my gratitude to you rather than your blame of me. For this reason, until today no woman has entered my house except the one whom you approve. You yourself know again that I am anxious about your affairs [...] as long as you remain alive, I abstain from marriage. But if not, whichever woman you approve, I also desire. I wrote this letter to you at night, having found an opportunity, but was unable to send it immediately. Please reply to me about your health and respond to this letter. Greet everyone from Caesareum by name. Greet Didymus the lawyer and his whole household. Tell Longinus that I hope to come up again. One thing I thank the gods for is that I gave you more than eight drachmas; otherwise, it would have been the same. And if you go up to Arsinoe, go to Cursilla and receive the five logs of wood and bring them down when you come, and if you can bring anything else for us for the winter. Epitynchanon greets you. Greet all those who love us by name.