A Flighty Linen-Weaver (P.Turner 43)

P.Turner 43 is a third century private letter from Ammonianus to Moros, written on the back of a medical catechesis (see P.Turner 14). Ammonianus is responding to a letter previously sent to him by Moros who apparently complained about the delay of services. What is interesting is the discussion of a certain linen-weaver about halfway through the letter. Ammonianus asks Moros to send some linens and then alludes to a linen-weaver who is apparently hard to get a hold of. Moros had previously told Ammonianus that this particular linen-weaver is "like wherever the ravens fly." This little proverb or idiom, however we should think of it, is so far unattested elsewhere. But what does it mean? According to Nikos Litinas, "Ammonianus attributes a characteristic of the ravens to this linen-weaver, namely that he probably disappears and gets lost. And finally he adds his after-thought that he expects Moros to say that there is a lack of linen-weavers and so it is not so easy to find others" (BASP 41, 2004, 117). 

So, why was this weaver so difficult to find? Ammonianus seems to know that linen-weavers were sparse where Moros lived, so it is possible that the notorious linen-weaver's services were in high-demand. In other words, he may have been difficult to find because he was avoiding further work. 

Ἀμμωνιανὸς Μώρ̣[ῳ] τῷ φιλ-
τάτῳ χαίρειν. οἰόμε̣ν̣[ος ἃ ἐγε-]
γραφήκεις περὶ ἐπ̣[ι]φ̣ο̣[ρᾶς]
(δραχμῶν) Δ, οὐκ ἔμελλον ὀ̣κ[ν]ε̣[ῖν πρῶ-]
τον μὲν τ̣ὸ τῆς ἐπ̣ι̣ν̣ε̣  ̣  ̣α̣ς̣
πίσσης δεύτερον τὸ τῶν χ̣ι̣τ̣ω̣-
ν̣ίων, πλὴν ἐξέπλεκται τὸ τ̣[ῆς]
πίσσης. καὶ κὰν νῦν ὅρα μ̣ὴ̣ ἀ[μ]ε̣-
λήσῃς πέμψαι μοι τὰ ὀθ̣ό̣ν̣ι̣α̣.
ἴδην γὰρ ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν σε ου[  ̣]α̣ι̣  ̣  ̣-
ον ὑπεβαλάσ̣ται μοι λινόυφ̣[ον]
ὄντα, ὡς ὅπου οἱ κόρακες ἀ[πέ-]
χονται ἔρις σ̣πανις ἐστὶν τ[ῶν]
λινούφων. 

Ammonianos to his dearest Moros, greetings. Bearing in mind what you had written concerning a fine of 4000 drachmas, I was not intending to delay, first in the matter of the ... pitch, second in the matter of the chitons; but the matter of the pitch has been concluded. Do you even now take pains not to neglect to send me the linens. For I knew that it is impossible for you to bother the weaver, whom you suggested to me, who is like "wherever the ravens fly." (Of course), you will say: "there is a lack of weavers."