Σερῆνος Ἀντωνίᾳ τῇ μητρὶ εὖ πράσσειν.
ἀκούσας, κυρία, τὴν τελευτὴν τοῦ [ ]τρου ἀηδῶ̣ς ἔσχον. · ἀλλὰ ἀνθρώπιν̣ον· κα̣ὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡμ̣εῖς τοῦτο διώκομεν. · πολλὰ δὲ καὶ τὸν Μάρκον παρ̣εμυθ̣ησάμεθα λυπούμεν̣ον · ἤτε διὰ τὴν ἐκίνου (*) τελευτὴν · ἤτε διὰ τό [σ]ε̣ λ̣υπῖσθαι (*). · ἀλλὰ θεῶν θελόντων ὅτι οὗτός σοι περίεστιν, οὐδ[έ]ν [σ]ο[ί] ἐστιν φαῦλον. · κα[λ]ῶς οὖ̣ν πο[ι]ή[σ]εις, μήτ̣ηρ, · λαβοῦσ̣α ἡμῶν [τ]ὰ [γ]ρ̣άμματα · καὶ εὐθέω̣ς ἰσελθοῦσα (*) πρὸς ὑ (*) μᾶς (*), · γινώσκου-σα ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφός μου Μάρκος · ἐν προλήμψι (*) ἐστὶν πολλῇ τῇ πε-ρὶ τοὺς κ[ά]μνοντας καὶ τὸ ἰ (*) ατρῖον (*). · οἶδας δὲ ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ― εὔκοπον πάσχοντας κατ[α]λ̣ῖψαι (*) · οὐχ (*) ὀλ̣ίγους · καὶ ἐργαστήρι(ο)n, μὴ καί τι[ς γ]ονγυσμὸς (*) κ̣[α]θʼ ἡμῶν γένηται ·, καὶ ταῦτα ἐν τοιαύτῃ ἡγεμονίᾳ̣. · π[άν]τως σοι ἐμήνυσεν ὁ Μάρκος διʼ ἐπ̣ιστολῆ̣ς̣ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀ̣σ̣χολασίαν· · ἐν λι̣τουργίᾳ (*) γάρ εἰμι πολιτικῇ καὶ διὰ το[ῦτο ἀσχολ]οῦμαι· · ἐπὶ (*) οὐκ ἦν με πρὸς ὀλίγας ἡμέρας κα-θίσαν[τα ἐκπέμψ]αι αὐτὸν ἐπὶ σέ. · σκ[οπούμε]ν̣οι δὲ το[ῦ] Ἁρποκρᾶ κῆ[δος ἡμῶν ἀμ]φοτέρων · καὶ στοχ[αζόμεν]οι τὸ καλῶς ἔχον · [ἐπιτεινόμεθα(?) ε]ἰς ἕν , [ὅ]πως ἰσελθο[ῦσα] (*) [σὺν] τῇ θυγατρί σου · [τὸν λοιπὸν βίον(?)] σ̣ο̣υ̣ [ἐντ̣(?)]αῦθα δ̣ι̣[άγῃς σὺ]ν τ̣ῷ̣ ὑ (*) ιῶι· · καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡ θυγά[τηρ σοι σ]υ̣ν̣έ̣σ̣τ̣α̣ι̣, ἐν̣ [πένθει παραμυθία οὐκ(?)] ὀλ[ίγ]η, καὶ σεβαζ[ομένη]ν ἔχις (*) , ὑπὸ πολ[λ]ῶν [ποθη]θ[εῖσαν διὰ τὴν ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣] μνίαν (*), · πολὺ δὲ μᾶλλον διὰ τὴν τιμ̣ὴ̣ν Μ̣ά̣ρκου ἣν ἔχι (*) ἐνταῦθα, γινώσκουσα ὅτι διὰ τῶν πρώτ̣ων τῆς κώμης · καὶ εὐγνω-μόνων εὐταῦθα (*) , · μᾶλλον δὲ κηδομένων Μάρκου · με-μεσιτεύμεθα ἀπὸ τῆς προτέρας αὐτοῦ ἀποδημίας, · καὶ διὰ φίλων · καὶ διὰ τῶν πατρῴων (*) θεῶν καὶ διὰ γραμ-μάτων, · ὅπως μὴ ἀποσχισθῶμεν ἀλλήλων. · διὸ οὖν, μήτηρ, ὡς φρονίμη γυνή, λαβοῦσα ὑ (*) μῶν (*) τὰ γράμματα · ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἁρποκρᾶ, · εὐθέως οἰκ̣ονομήσασα τὰ σεαυτῆς, · τὴν φροντίδα τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ποιοῦ· · δύνασαι γὰρ τὰ ἴ (*) δια ἃ μὲν ἐν μισθώσι (*) ποιήσασα, · ἃ δὲ ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ · οὕτως σπεῦ-σαι πρὸς \ἡ/μᾶς (*) εὐθυ[μεῖ], κυ̣ρία.
None extracted.
Serenus wishes well to Antonina, his mother.
Having heard, lady, of the end of the [ ] of the song, I was distressed. But it is human; for we also pursue this. And we have greatly grieved for Mark; whether because of the end of the movement or because of the [s]e [to] grieve. But since the gods wish that this is for you, nothing is bad for you. Therefore, mother, you will do well, having taken our letters and immediately entering to us, knowing that my brother Mark is in a great premonition concerning those who are suffering and the [i]atryon. You know that it is not easy to suffer and to be left behind; not a few; and a workshop, lest any grumbling arise against us, and these things in such a leadership. In any case, Mark has informed you through letters of my occupation; for I am engaged in a political liturgy and therefore I am occupied; for I was not with you for a few days to send him to you. We are looking at the care of Harpocrates for both of us and aiming for what is good; we are striving for one, so that entering with your daughter, you may live the rest of your life here with your son; for your daughter is also with you, in mourning not a little consolation, and being revered, she is desired by many because of the memory, much more because of the honor of Mark which you have here, knowing that through the first of the village and the well-disposed here, much more because of the care of Mark, we are mediating from his previous departure, and through friends and through the ancestral gods and through letters, so that we may not be separated from each other. Therefore, mother, as a wise woman, taking our letters from Harpocrates, immediately managing your own affairs, you will take care of us; for you can do the things that you have in hire, and those that are secure; thus hasten to us, lady.
Σερῆνος Ἀντωνίᾳ τῇ μητρὶ εὖ πράσσειν.
ἀκούσας, κυρία, τὴν τελευτὴν τοῦ [...]τρου ἀηδῶς ἔσχον. ἀλλὰ ἀνθρώπινον·
καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς τοῦτο διώκομεν. πολλὰ δὲ καὶ τὸν Μάρκον παρεμυθησάμεθα λυπούμενον·
ἤτε διὰ τὴν ἐκείνου τελευτὴν ἤτε διὰ τὸ σε λυπεῖσθαι.
ἀλλὰ θεῶν θελόντων ὅτι οὗτός σοι περίεστιν, οὐδέν σοί ἐστιν φαῦλον.
καλῶς οὖν ποιήσεις, μήτηρ, λαβοῦσα ἡμῶν τὰ γράμματα καὶ εὐθέως εἰσελθοῦσα πρὸς ἡμᾶς,
γινώσκουσα ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφός μου Μάρκος ἐν προλήψει ἐστὶν πολλῇ τῇ περὶ τοὺς κάμνοντας καὶ τὸ ἰατρεῖον.
οἶδας δὲ ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν εὔκοπον πάσχοντας καταλεῖψαι οὐχ ὀλίγους καὶ ἐργαστήριον,
μὴ καί τις γογγυσμὸς καθʼ ἡμῶν γένηται, καὶ ταῦτα ἐν τοιαύτῃ ἡγεμονίᾳ.
πάντως σοι ἐμήνυσεν ὁ Μάρκος διʼ ἐπιστολῆς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀσχολασίαν·
ἐν λειτουργίᾳ γάρ εἰμι πολιτικῇ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀσχολοῦμαι·
ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἦν με πρὸς ὀλίγας ἡμέρας καθίσαντα ἐκπέμψαι αὐτὸν ἐπὶ σέ.
σκοπούμενοι δὲ τοῦ Ἁρποκρᾶ κῆδος ἡμῶν ἀμφοτέρων καὶ στοχαζόμενοι τὸ καλῶς ἔχον,
ἐπιτεινόμεθα εἰς ἕν, ὅπως εἰσελθοῦσα σὺν τῇ θυγατρί σου τὸν λοιπὸν βίον σου ἐνταῦθα διάγῃς σὺν τῷ υἱῷ·
καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡ θυγάτηρ σοι συνέσται, ἐν πένθει παραμυθία οὐκ ὀλίγη,
καὶ σεβαζομένην ἔχεις, ὑπὸ πολλῶν ποθηθεῖσαν διὰ τὴν [...] μνείαν,
πολὺ δὲ μᾶλλον διὰ τὴν τιμὴν Μάρκου ἣν ἔχει ἐνταῦθα,
γινώσκουσα ὅτι διὰ τῶν πρώτων τῆς κώμης καὶ εὐγνωμόνων ἐνταῦθα,
μᾶλλον δὲ κηδομένων Μάρκου, μεμεσιτεύμεθα ἀπὸ τῆς προτέρας αὐτοῦ ἀποδημίας,
καὶ διὰ φίλων καὶ διὰ τῶν πατρῴων θεῶν καὶ διὰ γραμμάτων,
ὅπως μὴ ἀποσχισθῶμεν ἀλλήλων.
διὸ οὖν, μήτηρ, ὡς φρονίμη γυνή, λαβοῦσα ἡμῶν τὰ γράμματα ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἁρποκρᾶ,
εὐθέως οἰκονομήσασα τὰ σεαυτῆς, τὴν φροντίδα τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ποιοῦ·
δύνασαι γὰρ τὰ ἴδια ἃ μὲν ἐν μισθώσει ποιήσασα, ἃ δὲ ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ, οὕτως σπεῦσαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς.
εὐθύμει, κυρία.
Serenus to Antonia, his mother, greetings.
Having heard, my lady, of the death of the [...]tor, I was greatly distressed. But it is human;
indeed, we ourselves pursue this same fate. We have comforted Marcus greatly, who was grieving,
either because of that man's death or because you yourself were grieving.
But since the gods have willed that he remains with you, nothing bad will happen to you.
Therefore, mother, you will do well, upon receiving our letter, to come immediately to us,
knowing that my brother Marcus is greatly preoccupied with the sick and the medical practice.
You know it is not easy to leave behind many suffering people and the workshop,
lest some complaint arise against us, especially under such governance.
Marcus has certainly informed you by letter of my own busyness;
for I am engaged in public service, and thus I am occupied.
Therefore, it was not possible for me to send him to you for a few days.
Considering the care of Harpocrates, who is dear to us both, and aiming at what is best,
we are determined that you should come here with your daughter and spend the rest of your life here with your son.
Indeed, your daughter will also be with you, providing no small comfort in your mourning,
and you will be respected, greatly desired by many because of your [...] remembrance,
and even more because of the honor Marcus enjoys here,
knowing that through the leading people of the village and the grateful ones here,
especially those who care for Marcus, we have mediated since his previous absence,
through friends, ancestral gods, and letters,
so that we might not be separated from each other.
Therefore, mother, as a wise woman, upon receiving our letters through Harpocrates,
immediately arrange your affairs and direct your attention toward us.
For you can put some of your property into lease and some into safekeeping, and thus hasten to us.
Be of good cheer, my lady.