Kerkinitis Letter to Neomenios and the Scythian Dues — A Greek Graffito

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A Greek Graffito from the North Black Sea

This short Greek letter was scratched on a ceramic fragment from Kerkinitis, near modern Eupatoria, on the north shore of the Black Sea. It belongs to the late fifth or early fourth century BCE, in the same frontier world where Greek coastal towns, Scythian neighbors, salt-fish commerce, cattle, and inland obligations met in ordinary business.

The letter is practical rather than ceremonial. Apatourios writes to Neomenios about bringing salted fish into the house, guarding cattle, and knowing the dues or obligations connected with the Scythians.

The translation below is made from the inspected Ancient Greek inscription texts printed after the colophon. The two PHI records preserve closely related presentations of the same graffito; uncertain wording is kept cautious rather than smoothed into certainty.

Translation

Apatourios to Neomenios:

Bring the salted fish into the house, and set the equal portions right.

Let no one bring anything in without me.

And, at least, keep careful watch over the cattle.

And know whatever dues there are toward the Scythians.

Colophon

This Good Works Translation was prepared for the Scythian shelf by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Ancient Greek inscription texts printed below. The source records are PHI Greek Inscriptions PH339062 / SEG 37:665 and PH339284 / SEG 40:625, both describing the letter of Apatourios to Neomenios from Kerkinitis.

The graffito is a small but valuable witness to ordinary north Black Sea commerce and frontier obligation. It names the Scythians without turning the writer, recipient, town, or trade network into a simple ethnic category.

Compiled and translated for the Good Works Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: The Letter of Apatourios to Neomenios

Ancient Greek source text from PHI Greek Inscriptions, records PH339062 and PH339284. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

1. SEG 37:665 / PH339062

Ἀπατόριος Νεομηνίωι·

τὸς ταρίχος ἐς οἶκον

συνκόμισον καὶ σφήκ’ ἴσα·

καὶ σ’ ἄγῃ μηδὲς ἄτερ

ἐμέο· καὶ γῶν {γοῦν} {τ̣ῶν (Pleket)} βοῶν

ἀνακῶς ἔχε· καὶ ο․․․

τελῆ γίνωσκε

ἐς τὸ<ς> Σκύθας.

2. SEG 40:625 / PH339284

Ἀπατόˉριος Νεομηνίωι·

τὸˉς ταρίχος ἐς οἶκον

συνκόμισον καὶ σφήκ’ ἴσα,

καἰσάγη {καὶ ἐσάγηι} μηδὲˉς ἄτερ

ἐμέο, καὶ γῶν {γοῦν} {τ̣ῶν (Pleket)} βοῶν

ἀνακῶς ἔχε, καὶ ὅͳ[α] {ὅσσα}

τέλη γίνωσκε

ἐς τὸˉ(ς) Σκύθας.

Source Colophon

PH339062 is described by PHI Greek Inscriptions as the letter of Apatourios, written on a ceramic fragment from Kerkinitis on the north shore of the Black Sea, ca. 400 BCE, published in VDI 1987.3 and cross-referenced to SEG 54:682. PH339284 is described by PHI as the same letter of Apatourios, a graffito on a fragment of a Thasian amphora from Kerkinitis, late fifth century BCE, SEG 37:665 and ACSS 1.1.

The Ancient Greek inscription texts were inspected from PHI Greek Inscriptions before translation. The two PHI records were kept together because PH339284 gives a clearer restoration of the final business clause, while PH339062 preserves the linked record route. The ancient source words are presented for verification; modern apparatus and database presentation are not reproduced as the translated body.

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