Translation of Papyrus Tebtunis 15

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gregcoupe
Posts: 9
Joined: May 8th, 2016, 4:17 pm

Translation of Papyrus Tebtunis 15

Post by gregcoupe »

Hi, I’m just a beginner in Greek but I’m trying
to translate a passage from Papyrus Tebtunis 15 myself
due to no ready access to a translation.
The passage is online at:
http://epiduke.cch.kcl.ac.uk/2008-07-22 ... bt.15.html
but I’ve written it out below (vertically) with
some proposed word translations.
I was just wondering if anyone could tell me:

-Am I right in saying this passage refers to general Leōnídās taking records which are in danger?
-Does the text say that Hērakleides was a master of record-keepers?
-Does tōn authentōn bibliophylakōn mean “the masters of record-keepers” (chief registrars), “the masterful record-keepers” (masterful registrars), or something else? That is, is it referring to men (tōn authentōn) who have authority over other registrars or to registrars who have authority (authentōn) over their records?

Λεωνίδου of Leōnídās
στρατηγήσαντος be general/leader
ὑπομνηματισμὸς memorandum/royal decree
καὶ and
χειρογραφία hand-writing, manuscript
τοῦ the one of
γραμματέως registrar
Λεον̣ίδου of Leōnídās
δι᾽ through, on account of
ὧν his/her, your, mine
ἐπετράπη is allowed
παραλαβεῖν receive from, take from …
τὰ the
μήπω not yet/lest yet
παραδεδομένα give, hand over, transmit
βιβλία records
ὅποιά which (what sort/kind)
ἐστιν is
κινδύνῳ danger, venture, rick
τῶν the of
αὐθεντῶν master of
βιβλιοφυλάκων record keepers
καὶ and
Κεκιλίου Μάκερος Kekiliou Makeros
στρατηγήσαντος be general/leader
τῆς of the
α̣ὐτῆς thereof, of her
μερίδος, district
δι᾽ through, on account of
ὧν his/her, your, mine
ἐπετράπη were allowed
ὁ αὐτὸς himself, itself, the same
Λεο̣νί̣δ̣ης, Leonidēs
παρόντος… which has come
τοῦ the of
ἑνὸς of one
τῶν of the
αὐθεντῶν master of
βιβλιοφυλάκων record keepers
Ἡρακλείδου, of Hērakleides
παραλαβεῖν receive from, take from
τὰ the
βιβλία books
ἐφ᾽ upon
ἧς whom/that/ his/her
ἐστιν is
διαθέσεως arrangement, ordering, disposal
Stephen Hughes
Posts: 3323
Joined: February 26th, 2013, 7:12 am

Re: Translation of Papyrus Tebtunis 15

Post by Stephen Hughes »

Look at this page for information about the papyrus:
http://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.fam.tebt;;15

The work that it mentions as having a translation may be in a library near you:
http://www.worldcat.org/title/roman-egy ... c/18759412

https://books.google.com/books/about/Ro ... MvGgAACAAJ
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
Barry Hofstetter
Posts: 2159
Joined: May 6th, 2011, 1:48 pm

Re: Translation of Papyrus Tebtunis 15

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

I just glanced at this briefly, but it seems to be about the disposal of a will (διάθεσις).
N.E. Barry Hofstetter, M.A., Th.M.
Ph.D. Student U of FL
Instructor of Latin
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
καὶ σὺ τὸ σὸν ποιήσεις κἀγὼ τὸ ἐμόν. ἆρον τὸ σὸν καὶ ὕπαγε.
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