Gaius Julius Apollinarius
(0395) Text: Γέμελλ[ο]ς Ἀπολιναρίῳ | τῶι τιμιωτάτῳ [ἀ]δελ- | φῷ χαί[ρει]ν. | χάρις σοι πλείστη, ἄδελ- | φε, μεριμνήσαντί με· | ἡ σύστασίς σου πολύ με | ὠφέλησε. καὶ πρότε- | ρον μεμελήκι τῷ ἀγα- | θωτάτῳ σου φίλῳ Ῥουλ- | λίῳ εἰδότι ἣν ἔχις ἰς | ἐμὲ εὔνοιαν τὴν ἀπου- | σίαν σου ἀναπληρῶσαι· | πρὸς τὸν Αἰμιλλιανὸν | ἀνόκνως καὶ σπουδαί- | ως συνέστακέ (με) ὡς συν- | γενῆν σου ὃν ἥδιστα ἔσ- | χε. καὶ ἐρωτῶ, ἄδελφε, | ἀνθομολογῆσαί σε τῷ | Ῥούφῳ ἐὰν αὐτῷ γράφῃς. | ἔπεμψά σοι τὰ ἐπιστό- | λια Αἰμιλλιανοῦ καὶ Ῥού- | φου καὶ Χαρίτωνος. γράφε | μοι περὶ τῆς σωτηρίας σου | καὶ ὧν θέλις. ἄσπασαι τοὺ[ς] | σοὺς πάντας μεθʼ ὧν καὶ | ἔρρωσσο, ἄδελφε. || Ἰουλίῳ Ἀπολιναρίωι X οὐετρανῶι ἀπὸ Γεμέλλου.
Translation: Gemellus to Apollinarius, his most esteemed brother, greeting. Very many thanks to you, brother, for your care of me; your recommendation helped me greatly. And before that your very good friend Rullius, who knows the good will that you have for me, was concerned to make up for your absence; he introduced me without delay and with zeal to Aemilianus as a kinsman of you whom he cherished. And I ask, brother, that you make acknowledgment to Rufus if you write to him. I sent you the letters of Aemilianus and Rufus and Chariton. Write me how you are and what you want. Salute your entire household, together with whom do you also fare well, brother. || To Iulius Apollinarius, veteran, from Gemellus.
Commentary: This papyrus records a letter to Gaius Julius Apollinarius. Apollinarius probably has some Jewish heritage: his paternal great-aunt bears the name “Sambathion.” While the name Sambathion does not prove with certainty his Jewish ancestry, it remains likely. Tcherikover notes the mix of Roman, Greek, and Egyptian names in the family (CPJ). Several other letters from the family have been found but are omitted from those collected here – these are limited to those mentioning Apollinarius. Apollinarius’ father was also a soldier of legio III Cyrenaica. See the fuller discussion of the family’s archive in Elinor M. Husselman, ed., Papyri From Karanis, Third Series: Michigan Papyri IX 29 (Cleveland: The Press of Case Western Reserve University, 1971), 5-8; K. Vandorpe, W. Clarysse and H. Verreth, Graeco-Roman Archives from the Fayum, Collectanea Hellenistica 6 (Leuven: Peeters University Press, 2015), 186-198.
Provenience: Karanis, Egypt (near Fayuum, Egypt) 130-150 CE
Bibliography: P.Mich. 8.498*