As if the message was not clear enough, the men indicate their intentions with a little cartoon: an image of a penis penetrating an anus (see image at right). Above this crude illustration is the word “hard-on,” and below it the words “and anus.” It’s hard (no pun intended) to interpret the meaning of this letter and drawing. The editor of this text understood the letter to be a sexual proposition on the part of the two senders. Another scholar argued that, since the name Epaphroditus was used for slaves in Egypt, this letter was essentially a demand, not a proposition, for sex from a slave. In the ancient world, subordinate male subjects were often penetrated by dominant males as a demonstration of their power and control. So in war, for example, men in the military on the winning side often penetrated prisoners and captives. But slaves were also frequently used to satisfy sexual desires. So, sex here could be one of desire, control over the slave’s body, or both. P.Oxy. 42.3070 thus offers a fascinating glimpse into the practice of male homosexuality and slave-ownership in Greco-Roman Egypt. In the end, we do not know what happened to Epaphroditus. Maybe he allowed Apion and Epimachus to do what they wanted. Maybe he dissented and took on some extra beatings. Or perhaps he was beaten for dissenting and then buggered nonetheless. Either way, poor Epaphroditus had a bad day.