Letter from Diotimus to Isarus

Date

• ca. 93-ca. 94

Summary

• Date: November 17, 93 or 94 CE.
• Place of origin: Theadelphia (?)
• Summary: The chief interest of this private letter is to be found that it provides us with an exactly dated letter from the first century A.D. Aphrodite who is staying with a certain Diotimos receives an allowance from her family. This allowance is paid six times. Diotimos reports that he received Aphrodite's allowance up till Pharmouthi. It is probably a coincidence that Choiach is the end of the first period of the Egyptian year and Pharmouthi the end of the second period. As this letter was written in Hathyr and it is unlikely that the payments were made in advance, this papyrus should in all probability be dated November 17, A.D. 94.
• Notes: The chief interest of this document is to be found in the fact that it provides us with an exactly dated letter from the first century A.D. Line 21 was written by the same hand but much swiftly.
• Condition of recto: A light-brown papyrus, regularly cut off at all sides. Three vertical folds are still visible.
• Hands recto: The left-hand margin is c. 3 cm and the top margin is 2 cm. At the right-hand side the margin is 1.5 cm. On either side the text runs along the fibers.
• Description, notes, transcription, and translation written by P. J. Sijpesteijn.