A Letter from a Grumpy Babylonian Son to His Mother

Tell the Lady Zinu: Iddin-Sin sends the following message: May the gods Samas, Marduk, and Ilabrat keep you forever in good health for my sake. From year to year, the clothes of the [young] gentlemen here become better, but you let my clothes get worse from year to year. Indeed, you persisted in making my clothes poorer and more scanty. At a time when in our house wool is used up like bread, you have made me poor clothes. The son of Adadiddinam, whose father is only an assistant of my father, [has] two new sets of clothes while you fuss even about a single set of clothes for me. In spite of the fact that you bore me and his mother only adopted him, his mother loves him, while you, you do not love me! (Oppenheim, Letters from Mesopotamia)