Papyrus letter in Greek

Roman, Egyptian

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 171

The papyrus contains a letter written by Heraclides to his brother Petechois. It is essentially a shopping list of items – poultry, bread, lupines, chick peas, kidney beans and fenugreek at various prices – that Heraclides wants Petechois to bring him. Such documents provide important evidence for the level of literacy in the Roman world and offer an insight into the everyday lives of ordinary people.

Papyrus letter in Greek, Papyrus, Roman, Egyptian

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