Μάρκος Ἀντωνίᾳ καὶ Σαραπίωνι καὶ Κασσιανῷ τοῖς μου γονεῦσι πλεῖστα χαίρειν. τὸ προσκύνημα ὑ μῶν ποιῶ παρὰ τοῖς συννάοις θεοῖς· οὐ γὰρ εἰσχύει τις ἀναβῆναι προσκυνῆσαι διὰ τὴν γεναμένην μάχην τῶν ἀνωτεριτων πρὸς τοὺς στατιώτας. ἐτελεύτησαν στρατιῶται ἐκ τῶν σιγγλαρίων χωρὶς τῶν λεγιωναρίων καὶ τ[ο]υ̣ς ἠβωκατορες καὶ τῶν πεπληγώτων [καὶ] τῶν χαλαστῶ(ν). νῦν οὖν ὑμ[ῖ]ν γράφω ὅτ[ι] ἐν τάχει ὃ ποιεῖται πέμψατέ μοι τὸ ἐραιοῦν κολωβειν ἵ να ἐντός μου αὐτ[ὸ] εὕρω. καὶ ὁ φοινικὼν ποτισθήτω (τρὶς), ὡς ἐν το[ι]ούτῳ καιρῷ, καὶ πωλησάτω τὰς ἀλούρας ἁτοῦ πάλι, ὅσων ἐκεῖ ἐστιν, \ὁ/ Κασσιανό̣ς̣, καὶ ἐκπλεξάτω πάντα τὰ με̣τέωρα ἡμῶν, λαβέτω ἀποχὴν ὡς ἀνεγκλησίαν παρὰ τοῦ Θηβαίου. καὶ γινώσκειν ὑμᾶς θέλω [ὅ]τι οὐκ ἴσχυκα ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τὰ μέρη Κασσιανοῦ, οὐκ οἶδα εἰ ἐ[ξ]ῆλθε ἡ μήτηρ τῶν παιδίω(ν) αὐτοῦ ἢ οὔ· καὶ γὰρ ἐξερχόμενος Κα[σ]σιανὸς ἐνετίλατό μοι γράψαι αὐτῷ τὰ περὶ τῆς πολέως [ἐ]κ υνοῦ καὶ ὁ ἄρτος εἰ ἀναρπάζεται. καὶ ὡς ἐν τῇ κάστῃ ἐπιστολῇ σοι γράφω ἐκτινάξαι μου τὰ ἰατρικὰ βυβλία, ἐκτίναξον καὶ ἆρον αὐτὰ ἀπὸ τῆς θυρίδος ἃ κατέλιψα ἐξερχόμενος. καὶ ὁ Ἀπολλώνιος ὁ τυφλὸς ἦλθεν πρὸς ἐμαὶ λέ[γων μοι ὅ]τι ἐπαφιωκεν Σεραπιακὸς τῇ μητρί σου τὰς ἀλούρας. ἐὰ[ν οὖν ἦν(?)] ἐπα[φ]εὶς καὶ εἰδῇς τὴν τοῦ Ἀπολλω[νίου] τούτου τοῦ τυφλοῦ γνώμην ὅτι εὐγνώμων ἐστὶν, μ̣[ίσ]θωσον αὐτῷ αὐτὰς, ἐὰν μή σοι ἦν ἐκεῖνος, πειρῇς δοῦσα̣ [τὸ]ν σεῖτ[ο]ν. ἀσπά[ζ]ου Εὐδοκεί\α/ν τὴν τοῦ Ὀκταίου συνβίωσ[ι]ν μετὰ τ̣[ῶ]ν παι̣δ̣[ίω]ν καὶ Οὐαλέρι[ο]ν τὸν τοῦ Πασικᾶτος καὶ Ἀρσέ[νιον καὶ] πάντ[ας] καὶ κ̣[υ]ρίαν καὶ τὴν ἀδελφήν μου πάντας κατʼ ὄ̣[ν]ομα ἀ[σ]πάζου. ἀσπάζου καὶ Γαίωνα καὶ Οὐαλέριον τὸν τῆς πίσσης. ἐρρῶσσθαι ὑμᾶς εὔχομαι {ὑμᾶς}.
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Mark to Antonias and Sarapion and Cassian to my parents, greetings. I perform the worship of my gods among the fellow gods; for it is not possible for anyone to ascend to worship due to the battle that has occurred between the higher ranks and the soldiers. The soldiers have perished from the singlarian troops, apart from the legionaries and the youth and the wounded and the fallen. Now therefore I write to you that quickly whatever is done, send to me the favor to be cut off. Let the Phoenician be watered (three times), as in such a time, and let Cassian sell the fields of his again, as many as are there, and let him untie all our suspended matters, let him take a release as an exemption from the Theban. And I want you to know that I was not able to depart to the regions of Cassian, I do not know if the mother of his children has gone out or not; for when Cassian was going out, he commanded me to write to him about the city from a common source and whether the bread is being seized. And as in the letter in the castle, I write to you to shake off my medical books, shake them off and take them from the window which I left when going out. And Apollonius the blind came to me saying that Serapion has entrusted the fields to your mother. If therefore you were entrusted and know the opinion of this blind Apollonius that he is grateful, hire him, if that one was not there, you should try to give him the grain. Greet Eudokia, the wife of Octavius, with the children and Valerius the son of Pasikatos and Arsenios and all and the lady and my sister, greet all by name. Greet also Gaius and Valerius the one of the pitch. I wish you to be well.
Μάρκος Ἀντωνίᾳ καὶ Σαραπίωνι καὶ Κασσιανῷ
τοῖς μου γονεῦσι
πλεῖστα χαίρειν.
τὸ προσκύνημα ὑμῶν ποιῶ παρὰ τοῖς συννάοις θεοῖς·
οὐ γὰρ ἰσχύει τις ἀναβῆναι προσκυνῆσαι διὰ τὴν γεναμένην
μάχην τῶν ἀνωτεριτῶν πρὸς τοὺς στρατιώτας.
ἐτελεύτησαν στρατιῶται ιε ἐκ τῶν σιγγουλαρίων χωρὶς τῶν λεγιωναρίων
καὶ τοὺς ἠβοκατόρες καὶ τῶν πεπληγότων καὶ τῶν χαλαστῶν.
νῦν οὖν ὑμῖν γράφω ὅτι ἐν τάχει ὃ ποιεῖται πέμψατέ μοι
τὸ ἐρεοῦν κολόβιον ἵνα ἐντός μου αὐτὸ εὕρω.
καὶ ὁ φοινικὼν ποτισθήτω (τρὶς), ὡς ἐν τοιούτῳ καιρῷ,
καὶ πωλησάτω τὰς ἀρούρας αὑτοῦ πάλιν, ὅσων ἐκεῖ ἐστιν, ὁ Κασσιανός,
καὶ ἐκπλεξάτω πάντα τὰ μετέωρα ἡμῶν, λαβέτω ἀποχὴν ὡς ἀνεγκλησίαν παρὰ τοῦ Θηβαίου.
καὶ γινώσκειν ὑμᾶς θέλω ὅτι οὐκ ἴσχυκα ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τὰ μέρη Κασσιανοῦ,
οὐκ οἶδα εἰ ἐξῆλθε ἡ μήτηρ τῶν παιδίων αὐτοῦ ἢ οὔ·
καὶ γὰρ ἐξερχόμενος Κασσιανὸς ἐνετείλατό μοι γράψαι αὐτῷ τὰ περὶ τῆς πολέως ἐκ κοινοῦ
καὶ ὁ ἄρτος εἰ ἀναρπάζεται.
καὶ ὡς ἐν τῇ ἑκάστῃ ἐπιστολῇ σοι γράφω ἐκτινάξαι μου τὰ ἰατρικὰ βιβλία,
ἐκτίναξον καὶ ἆρον αὐτὰ ἀπὸ τῆς θυρίδος ἃ κατέλειψα ἐξερχόμενος.
καὶ ὁ Ἀπολλώνιος ὁ τυφλὸς ἦλθεν πρὸς ἐμὲ λέγων μοι ὅτι ἐπαφέωκεν Σεραπιακὸς τῇ μητρί σου τὰς ἀρούρας.
ἐὰν οὖν ἦν ἐπαφεὶς καὶ εἰδῇς τὴν τοῦ Ἀπολλωνίου τούτου τοῦ τυφλοῦ γνώμην ὅτι εὐγνώμων ἐστίν,
μίσθωσον αὐτῷ αὐτὰς, ἐὰν μή σοι ἦν ἐκεῖνος, πειρῇς δοῦσα τὸν σῖτον.
ἀσπάζου Εὐδοκείαν τὴν τοῦ Ὀκταίου συνβίωσιν μετὰ τῶν παιδίων
καὶ Οὐαλέριον τὸν τοῦ Πασικᾶτος καὶ Ἀρσένιον καὶ πάντας καὶ κυρίαν καὶ τὴν ἀδελφήν μου πάντας κατʼ ὄνομα ἀσπάζου.
ἀσπάζου καὶ Γαίωνα καὶ Οὐαλέριον τὸν τῆς πίσσης. ἐρρῶσθαι ὑμᾶς εὔχομαι.
ἀπόδος Σαραπίωνι καὶ Κασσιανῷ τοῖς πατράσι.
Marcus to Antonia and Sarapion and Cassianus,
my parents,
many greetings.
I pay my respects to you before the gods who share the temple;
for no one is able to go up to worship because of the battle
that took place between the higher authorities and the soldiers.
Fifteen soldiers from the singularii died, apart from the legionaries,
and the evocati, and those wounded, and those destroyed.
Now therefore I write to you that quickly, whatever is being done, send me
the woolen tunic, so that I may find it with me.
And let the date-palm be watered (three times), as is fitting at such a time,
and let Cassianus sell again his fields, as many as he has there,
and let him settle all our outstanding matters, and let him receive a receipt as proof of no complaint from the Theban.
And I want you to know that I was not able to go to Cassianus' region,
nor do I know whether the mother of his children has left or not;
for Cassianus, when leaving, instructed me to write to him about the affairs of the city in common
and whether the bread is being seized.
And as I wrote to you in each letter to shake out my medical books,
shake them out and take them from the window where I left them when departing.
And Apollonius the blind came to me, telling me that Serapiacus has transferred the fields to your mother.
If therefore you have been informed and know the opinion of this Apollonius the blind, that he is trustworthy,
lease them to him; if he is not suitable for you, try giving him the grain.
Greet Eudocia, the wife of Octaius, along with the children,
and Valerius, son of Pasikates, and Arsenios, and everyone, and the lady, and my sister; greet everyone by name.
Greet also Gaion and Valerius, the pitch-maker. I pray for your good health.
Deliver (this) to Sarapion and Cassianus, the fathers.