The man commemorated in this epitaph was an important officer in the local armed forces on the southern border of Egypt, but not apparently the overall commander. It is clear that during his military service he become quite wealthy. The translation is taken from J.D. Ray, "A Pious Soldier: Stele Aswan 1057" (JEA, 1987).
[A] Translation of hieroglyphic text
An offering to Osiris, first-born god, great in Abydos, presiding over Biggeh, and Osiris lord of Abaton, king of the gods of Philae . . . all . . . [ and Isis ] the great, divine mother, lady of Ḥwt-ḫnt and of Knum, Amun, Horus and Hathor, mourner who mourns for her husband-brother, who rejoices (?) in incense, and Nephthys, the benefactress of the gods, Anubis who is upon his mountain, who presides over the divine booth, the gods who are in Ḏw-qȝ, the entire (?) divine ennead, Imsety, Hapy, Duamutef, Qebehsenuf, that they may give invocation offerings ? bread, beer, oxen, fowl, alabaster, linen, wine, milk, cool water, and all good and pure things, given by heaven, created by earth, brought by Nile from his cavern - to the ka of 5 Osiris, prophet of the house of Khnum and Isis, standard-bearer before the nome, who served the gods and goddesses in the nome and . . . in all the temples within it, acquaintance of
the king's house in Nubia, Petiesi, justified, son of Pakhnum, justified, born to the lady Takhnum, justified. May your ba live, may your body be firm, Osiris give you to inhale the breeze, Isis give you youth, Nephthys give you libations, Anubis give you linen, Horus give you natron, the opening-of-the-mouth, and everything which may benefit you.
[B] Translation of demotic text
[Osiris Petiesi son of Pakhnum], his mother being Takhnum, kalasiris of Elephantine and standard-bearer before the nome at the head of the five companies, [servant (?) of] the gods of Nubia, who gave prosperity to him within their temples, Pharaoh being the one who commanded this and who did good by (?) Petiesi. He says: 'Every man shall prosper who shall come to enrich the festivals and the acts of praise, which (?) Isis has made great. Observe the affairs of the gods; give your one-tenth to your gods. Do not neglect the interests of the gods. [I made] sanctuary (?) in Nubia, I served 5 four Pharaohs. The gods rescued me from the wrath of their lightning, and brought me to my home-town because of the works of piety which I performed. I completed a harp of gold for Elephantine, and another for Philae [with a view to its revelation. I] completed a bed of ebony for the house-of-appeal of Hathor. I gilded a [doorway] of gold for the nome. These things I did, and I caused to be completed a door-bolt (?) for the temple of Philae'.
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