Letter 478: Terentianus reports recovery from illness amid disorder in Alexandria.

Claudius Terentianus, probably the sender, writes to Claudius Tiberianus, his father and lord. Before anything else, I pray for your health, which is what I wish for you. I myself am well, and every day I make obeisance for you before lord Sarapis and the gods who share his temple. I want you to know that, although I had been ordered to go out on duty while you were away, I was completely unable to go down to Neapolis. At that time such a violent attack of illness came on me that for five days I could not write you anything, much less come up to you. None of us was even able to go out through the gate of the camp. I thank the god that after those five days, despite the great disturbance and the injury mentioned in the damaged lines, the lawbreakers were found and I survived. I am all the more grateful to you for having come down. Much of the middle of the papyrus is broken into fragments. It preserves traces of legal and military language, a camp commander, a danger or judgment, and a matter involving the writer's mother. Later Terentianus asks Tiberianus to write back and say how someone is doing. He sends many greetings to his mother and lady, and asks that she be told to send him his small fund or purse. The remaining traces mention perfume or myrrh and then break off into disconnected fragments. The letter is therefore both personal and public: Terentianus reports a serious illness, unrest in Alexandria, blocked movement through the camp, legal trouble, greetings to family, and requests for practical help, but the damage prevents a continuous reconstruction of the final part.

[Κλαύδιος Τερεντιανὸς Κλαυδίῳ] Τιβεριανῷ [τῷ πατρὶ καὶ κυρίῳ πλεῖστα] χαίρε[ιν]. πρὸ μ[ὲν πάντ]ω[ν εὔχομαί σε ὑγιαίνει]ν, [ὅ μοι εὔ-] κταῖόν ἐ[στι]ν, ὑ[γι]α̣ί̣[νω δὲ καὶ αὐ]τὸς τ[ὸ] προ[σκύ-] 5 ν[η]μά σου ποιούμ[ενος καθʼ ἑκάστ]ην ἡμ[έρ]αν παρ[ὰ] τῷ κυρίῳ Σαράπ[ιδι] καὶ τοῖς [συν]νάοις θ[εοῖς]. γειν[ώσκειν] σε θέλω [ὅτι] ἐξέρχ[εσθαι τεταγμένο]ς̣ ἀπ̣[όντ]ος σο[υ] κατελθε̣[ῖν] εἰς Νέ[αν Πόλιν πάντως] οὐκ ἠ̣[δυ]νήθην̣ [τό-] τε γὰρ τόσ̣[ο]ν ἐπηρ̣[εασμὸν τῆς νό]σου μα̣[ -ca.?- ] παρ[ -ca.?- ] 10 [ -ca.?- ] ἀ̣κ[ό]σ̣μω̣ς̣, κ̣[αὶ ἠδυνήθην] ἡμέρ[ας πέ]ντε μη- δέ̣ν̣ σοι [γ]ρ̣ά̣φ̣ε̣[ιν, μήτιγε ἀν]αβῆν[α]ί [σο]ι̣, οὐδὲ τὴν πύλ[ην] τῆς π[αρεμβολῆς] ἐξελθ[εῖν] ἔσ̣χ̣[η]κ̣έ̣ τις ἡμῶν. [ε]ὐχαρισ[τῶ τῷ θεῷ ὅτι] μ̣ε̣τὰ τ̣[ὰς] πέ[ντ]ε , ἡμῶν ἡ[μ]έρας ἄλ[λας -ca.?- θόρυ]βον το[σο]ῦτον, ἀ- 15 φʼ ο̣[ὗ] σ̣ί̣ν̣[η] ἔσχα, κ[ - ca.11 - ][ -ca.?- ] ἀνεῦρε τ[οὺς] τ[ῶν] νόμ[ων παραβάτας -ca.?- σ]έ̣σωμε γινομ[έν]η̣ς μᾶλλ[ον χάριτός σοι κατα]βεβη- κό̣τ̣ι. ἀφ[ -ca.?- ]ν γὰ[ρ -ca.?-] διάγνωσιν [- ca.21 - κιν-] 20 δυ̣νεύοντ̣α̣ [ -ca.?- ] ἐ[ὰ]ν κα̣[ -ca.?- ]ει[ -ca.?- ] κ̣[ -ca.?- ]μ̣η̣ [ -ca.?- ] ἐὰ̣ν̣ [ -ca.?- ] ο̣[ -ca.?- ] ἅμα̣ καὶ̣ [ -ca.?- ] [ -ca.?- χ]ά̣ρ̣ι̣ν̣ ἄλ̣λη[ν -ca.?- ] 25[ -ca.?- ] ἀλ̣λ̣α̣χῇ τ̣ο̣ς̣[ -ca.?- ] [στρ]ατοπεδαρ[χ -ca.?- ] [ -ca.?- ]εφ υ υ[ -ca.?- ] [ -ca.?- ]ση̣[ -ca.?- ] [ -ca.?- ] τοῦ κυ[ -ca.?- ] 30[ -ca.?- τ]ῇ μητρί μ[ου -ca.?- ] [ -ca.?- ]σον̣ τὸ επ[ -ca.?- ] [ -ca.?- ]μ̣ δ ησει̣[ -ca.?- ] [ -ca.?- ]αι[ -ca.?- ] κα̣ὶ̣ [δ]ηλ̣α̣[δ]ὴ [- ca.12 - γινώσκειν σε] 35 θέλω ὅτι [ -ca.?- ] λας̣ ἔτι ἀπόντος [σου - ca.12 -] ρ [ -ca.?- ] τ̣ὴν α[- ca.13 -]ν μ[ -ca.?- ] ἡμέρας [ἐ]στρατε[υ - ca.15 -]αν [ -ca.?- ] ἀπαιτοῦντος τὸν̣ [- ca.9 -] καὶ τὸν [χ]αλκὸν ὡ̣ς̣ 40 μηκέτι [σ]ὺν Ἀμ[- ca.10 -]ποιῆσαι. ἔδει [δ]ὲ μὶ αἰτ̣ῇ̣ ἃ ἀπηρτισ[μένα ἦν κατ]ὰ τὴν ἀπογραφὴν ε̣[ -ca.?- ][ἄ]λλου νομικοῦ πέμ- ψαι σοι α[ὐ]τὸ επ̣[ -ca.?- ]αβου [ -ca.?- ] λοιπὸν ἀντίγ[ρ]αψόν μοι καὶ̣ [περὶ -ca.?-]ρας̣ [π]ῶ[ς] πράσσ[ε]ι. 45 ἄσπα[σα]ι τὴν μητέ[ρα] καὶ κυρίαν μ[ο]υ πολλὰ κ[α]ὶ ἐρεῖς αὐτῇ τοῖς [ -ca.?- ]ς̣ πέ[μψ]αι μ̣[ο]ι τὸ φοῦνδίν μ[ου. τ]ὴν δ[ὲ - ca.10 -]δε με[ -ca.?- ]ο̣ν εἰς τὰ μύρα [ -ca.?- ]αι̣τ̣[ -ca.?- ]ελ[ -ca.?- ]η̣[ -ca.?- ] FrA [ -ca.?- ]λ̣λα̣[ -ca.?- ] [ -ca.?- ]μη̣κ[ -ca.?- ] 5[ -ca.?- ]ε̣[ -ca.?- ] [ -ca.?- ]η̣σ̣τ̣[ -ca.?- ] [ -ca.?- ]ο̣μ[ -ca.?- ] [ -ca.?- ]μ̣ε̣νατ[ -ca.?- ] 10[ -ca.?- ] FrB [ -ca.?- ]νο̣[ -ca.?- ] [ -ca.?- ] 5[ -ca.?- ]λθε κ[ -ca.?- ] [ -ca.?- ]ε̣ ἀγγ[ -ca.?- ] [ -ca.?- ]μενο[ -ca.?- ] [ -ca.?- ]κ π[ -ca.?- ] [ -ca.?- ]υμε[ -ca.?- ] 10[ -ca.?- ]