Letter 476: Terentianus asks Tiberianus to approve a woman entering his household.

Claudius Terentianus sends very many greetings to Claudius Tiberianus, his lord and father. Before anything else, I pray that you are well and successful, which is what I wish for you. I myself am well, and I make obeisance for you every day before lord Sarapis and the gods who share his temple. I want you to know, father, that I have received a basket from Achillas. Another basket was also given to me by the soldier. In it I found two large loaves of bread and dates. From the father of Iulius I received a small basket, my small baskets, and a sword sheath. He sent me word about a woman, saying that he was trying to arrange one for me with my consent. Two years ago I would already have brought a woman into my house, but I did not allow myself then, and I do not allow myself now, to take anyone without your approval. You will not hear otherwise from me on this matter. If the woman I decide to bring down is someone who can show more goodwill to you on my account, and care for you even more than for me, then the result will be that I have done you a favor rather than given you cause to blame me. For this reason, until today no woman has entered my house without your approval. You yourself know, moreover, that I have relieved you of your troubles. If you remain opposed for the rest of your life, I will give up that woman. But if not, the woman you approve is the one I want too. I wrote this letter to you at night after finding an opportunity, though I was not able to send it then. Please write back to me about your safety and in answer to this letter. Greet everyone in the Caesareum [a temple precinct of the imperial cult] by name. Greet Didymos the legal expert and his whole household. Tell Longinus that I hope to go upcountry again. One thing for which I thank the gods is that I gave you more than the eight drachmas; otherwise the same thing would have happened. If you go up to the Arsinoite nome, go to Cursilla and receive the five logs of wood, and bring them when you come. Bring anything else you can bring down to us for the winter. Epitynchanon greets you. Greet everyone who loves us, each by name. On the outside of the letter: deliver to Claudius Tiberianus, from Claudius Terentianus, his son, a soldier of the legion.

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 5 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- 10 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- 15 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- 20[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 25 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 30 χειμωναν. ἀσπάζεταί σε Ἐπιτυγχάνων. 31,ms ἄσπασαι πάντες τοὺς φιλοῦντε̣ς̣ [ἡμᾶς] κατʼ ὄνομα. v ἀπόδ(ος) Κλαυδίῳ Τιβεριαν[ῷ] ̣[ ̣ ̣] ̣[ ̣ ̣ ̣] ̣ ̣ ̣ωι [π]α̣[ρὰ] Κλαυδίο[υ Τερε]ντιανοῦ \υἱοῦ/ λε(γιῶνος) στρα(τιώτου).