1. Everyday Writing in the Roman World
Sister Therese Marie Dougherty
Notre Dame of Maryland University
MFLA Fall Meeting
October 10, 2015

2. V IDVS MART[I]AS
VII ID IVN

3. Arma virumque cano Troiae qui primus ab oris

4. Nihil durare potest tempore perpetuo
Pompeii, a shop in Regio IX
CIL IV 9123
Nihil durare potest tempore perpetuo
cum bene sol nituit, redditur oceano
descrescit Phoebe, quae modo plena fuit,
ventorum feritas saepe fit aura levis.

5. [Quis]quis amat valeat; pereat qui nescit amare.
Bis tanto pereat quisquis amare vetat.

6. Election Graffiti Trebium aed. Tonsores C. Cuspium Pansam Aed
aurifices universi rogant
Sallustium Capitonem
Aed o.v.f.
caupones facite
M Cerrinum Vatiam Aed
o.v.f. seribibi universi rog
Scr Florus cum Fructo

7. CN HELVIVM SABINVM AED D·R·P·O·V·F GN[AEUM] HELVIUM SABINUM AED[ilem]
D[ignum] R[ei] P[ublicae]
O[ro] V[os] F[aciatis]
132 campaign notices have been found in Pompeii in support of Gnaeus Helvius Sabinus

8. M HOLCONIVM PRISCVM· IIVIR ·I·D· POMARI · UNIVERSI CUM · HELVIO VESTALE · ROG M(arcum) Holconium Priscum IIvir(um) i(ure) d(icundo) pomari universi cum Helvio Vestale rog(ant) CIL, IV 00202

9. Advertising Graffiti: Apartments for rent

10. Advertising Graffiti: Apartments for rent
IN•PRAEDIS•IVLIAE•SP•F•FELICIS LOCANTVR BALNEVM•VENERIVM•ET•NONGENTVM•TABERNAE•PERGVLAE CENACVLA•EX•IDIBVS•AVG•PRIMIS•IN•IDVS•AVG•SEXTAS•ANNOS•CONTINIVOS•QVINQVE
S•Q•D•L•E•N•C
Si quem deceat locatio eorum, nos convenito.

11. Apartments for rent Located on the premises of Julia Felix,
daughter of Spurius,
to rent from August 13 for five years--
baths, shops with open fronts,
upper story rooms.
If you like the arrangement, come see us.

12. HOSPITIVM. HIC LOCATUR TRICLINIVM CVM TRIBVS LECTIS ET COMM(odis)
GUEST HOUSE.
DINING ROOM FOR RENT
WITH THREE COUCHES
AND FURNISHINGS

14. Give proper credits The gladiatorial troupe of
A. Suettius Certus Aedile
will fight at Pompeii on May 31
There will be a mock animal hunt and awnings
Good luck to all Nero’s gladiators.

15. Sponsor: Marcus Cominius Heres
Hilarus Princeps Creunus
Games at Nola
four days
Sponsor: Marcus Cominius Heres

16. The riot in the amphitheatre at Pompeii
Campani victoria vna Cvm Nvcerinis peristis Campanians, in victory you perished along with the Nucerians

18. Funerary inscriptions

19. Colchester Museum Tombstone of a Centurion
M FAVONI M F POL FAC
ILIS C LEG XX VERECVND
VS ET NOVICIVS LIB POS
VERVNT H S E
MARCUS FAVONIUS FACILIS
SON OF MARCUS OF THE POLLIAN TRIBE CENTURION OF THE TWENTIETH LEGION
VERECUNDUS AND NOVICIUS
HIS FREEDMEN SET THIS UP
HERE HE LIES
The well-known tombstone of Marcus Favonius Facilis, centurion with XX, was found to the west of Colchester and is normally taken as evidence that XX was the legion stationed at Colchester between approximately 43 and 49. The date of the stone is assumed from the lack of the title Valeria Victrix, won in 60 during the Boudican Revolt, and the knowledge that a legion was moved west in about 49 (but see XX in Chapter 2 for several examples of post-60 inscriptions lacking these titles).
Facilis was a member of the Pollian voting tribe and the stone was erected by his freedmen Verecundus and Novicius. Exceptionally the tombstone was found in close association with cremated remains and pottery which can be associated with the period prior to the Boudican Revolt.
One of the finest in Britain

21. IVLIAE GAII FILIAE SATURNINAE ET GAIO SVLPICIO CLYTO ET
DIS MANIBUS
IVLIAE GAII FILIAE SATURNINAE ET
GAIO SVLPICIO CLYTO ET
MEMORIAE IVLIAE MVSARI
IVLIA HEVRESIS ET SULPICIVS
CLYTVS BENE MERENTIBUS FECERVNT
CIL VI 20667

23. D[is] M[anibus] REGINA LIBERTA ET CONIVGE
BARATES PALMYRENVS NATIONE
CATVALLAVNA AN[norum] XXX
[hoc monumentum fecit]

24. Altar to 'Fortune the Home-Bringer, to Aesculapius and to Salus' Roman Britain, 2nd century AD From the legionary fortress at Deva (modern Chester)
Titus Pomponius Mamilianus Rufus Antistianus Funisulanus Vettonianus
FORTVNAE REDVCI ESCVLAP ET SALVTI EIVS LIBERT ET FAMILIA T PMPONI T F GAL MAMILIΛN RVFI ANTISTIANI FVNISVLAN VETTONANI LEG AVG D D
FORTVNAE REDVCI [A]ESCVLAP[IO] ET SALVTI EIVS
LIBERT[I] ET FAMILIA T[ITI] P[O]MPONI T[ITI] F[ILII]
GAL[ERIA TRIBU] MAMILIΛN[I] RVFI
ANTISTIANI FVNISVLAN[I] VETTONANI
LEG[ATI] AVG[USTI] D[ONO] D[EDERUNT]

25. Monument in main square in Rimini Fake inscription
G[AIUS] CAESAR DICT[TATOR] RVBICONE SVPERATO CIVILI BEL[LO] COMMILIT[ONES SVOS HIC [I]N FORO AR[IMINENSI] ADLOCVT[VS] CIL XI 34*

26. Letters Reproductions of writing materials at the Verulamium Museum
St Albans, Britain

27. Writing Materials Corinium Museum
Spatula in the form of Minerva Writing Tablet Replica
Samian Inkpot

28. PROC[uratores AVGust[ales] DEDERVNT BRIT[anniae] PROV[inciae]
Wooden writing-tablet Roman Britain, 1st or 2nd century AD Found in or near the River Walbrook, London
Government issue stationery
The Role of the Roman Army in Britain
PROC[uratores AVGust[ales] DEDERVNT BRIT[anniae] PROV[inciae]

29. Interea pavidam volitans pinnata pe[r] u[r]bem Aeneid 9.473
Writing-tablet with a line from Virgil (Vindolanda Tablet 118) Roman Britain, late 1st or early 2nd century AD Vindolanda, Northumberland
In the commanding officer's residence (praetorium) at Vindolanda, probably during the occupation by Cerialis and his family, someone took a wooden writing-tablet on which a private letter had been begun, but not finished. They wrote on the back of it, in a rather good hand, a complete line from the second half of Virgil's Aeneid (9.473).
It was certainly not a readily memorable line, which makes us wonder: Were the texts of Virgil available at Vindolanda? Were they used for writing practice as is commonly found on papyri? By whom? Cerialis' children?
Interea pavidam volitans pinnata pe[r] u[r]bem
Aeneid 9.473

30. duo solearum paria du[o ]um saluta...[ ]ndem Elpidem Iu[
Vindolanda Tablet 346
ram tibi paria udon[um
t. ab Sattua solearum
duo · et subligariorum
duo solearum paria du[o
]um saluta...[
]ndem Elpidem Iu[
].enum Tetricum et omn[es
[c]ontibernales cum quibus
[o]pto felicissimus uiuas
"... I have sent (?) you ... pairs of socks from Sattua, two pairs of sandals and two pairs of underpants, two pairs of sandals ... Greet ...ndes, Elpis, Iu..., ...enus, Tetricus and all your messmates with whom I pray that you live in the greatest good fortune."

31. Vindolanda Tablet 203
15 August
a pork cutlet (?) of bread of wine, sextarius of oil
xviii K(alendas) Septembres offellam panis uini (sextarium) olei

32. Writing-tablet with account of money received Roman Britain, late 1st or early 2nd century AD Vindolanda Roman fort (modern Chesterholm), Northumberland
Some entries have been scored through,
implying that they have
been paid.
…, bugler, for the price of… modii 15, denarii 12, asses 1 and 3/4; likewise, for sundries,
denarii  2, asses 2; Ircucisso, as part of the price of bacon, denarii 13 1/2; Felicio the centurion,
bacon, 45 pounds, likewise, bacon lard, 15 and 1/2 pounds, total 60 and 1/2 pounds, 
denarii 8, asses 2; likewise, he (?) has received for sundries denarii 6, asses 2 and 3/4;
Vattus… Victor… For the price of a horse… Exomnius the centurion, denarii…,
Atrectus the brewer, as part of the price of iron, denarii… for the price of pork-fat, 
denarii 11, asses2; Andecarus, denarii… Sanctus, denarii…

33. Business Letter from Vindolanda
Length: cm
P&EE
Room 49: Roman Britain
Writing-tablet with a letter from the entrepreneur Octavius to Candidus
Roman Britain, late 1st or early 2nd century AD
Octavius to his brother Candidus, greetings. The hundred pounds of sinew from Marinus - I will settle up. From the time when you wrote about this matter, he has not even mentioned it to me. I have several times written to you that I have bought about five thousand modii of ears of grain, on account of which I need cash. Unless you send me some cash, at least five hundred denarii, the result will be that I shall lose what I have laid out as a deposit, about three hundred denarii, and I shall be embarrassed. So, I ask you, send me some cash as soon as possible. The hides which you write are at Cataractonium. - write that they be given to me and the wagon about which you write.

34. Back: (Deliver) at Vindolanda.
And write to me what is with that wagon. I would have already been to collect them except that I did not care to injure the animals while the roads are bad. See with Tertius about the 8½ denarii which he received from Fatalis. He has not credited them to my account. Know that I have completed the 170 hides and I have 119modii of threshed bracis. Make sure that you send me cash so that I may have ears of grain on the threshing-floor. Moreover, I have already finished threshing all that I had. A messmate of our friend Frontius has been here. He was wanting me to allocate (?) him hides and that being so, was ready to give cash. I told him I would give him the hides by 1 March. He decided that he would come on 13 January. He did not turn up nor did he take any trouble to obtain them since he had hides. If he had given the cash, I would have given him them. I hear that Frontinius Iulius has for sale at a high price the leather ware (?) which he bough here for five denarii apiece. Greet Spectatus and ... and Firmus. I have received letters from Gleuco. Farewell.
Back: (Deliver) at Vindolanda.
A.K. Bowman, Life and letters on the Roman (London, The British Museum Press, 1994)

35. Bronze military diploma Roman Britain, AD 103 From Malpas, Cheshire
This official certificate is inscribed on two joining bronze plates. It was issued by the Roman emperor Trajan (AD ) to Reburrus, a Spanish decurion (junior officer) in the 1st Pannonian cavalry regiment.
It granted him Roman citizenship and the right of legal marriage with a present or future wife. These privileges were usually granted to the non-citizen auxiliary soldiers when they retired after completing the twenty-five year period of miltary service, but occasionally they were conferred earlier as a reward, for example, for conspicuous bravery in battle.

36. Writing-tablet with a letter inviting Sulpicia Lepidina, the commander's wife, to a birthday party Roman Britain, about AD Vindolanda Roman fort (modern Chesterholm), Northumberland
'Claudia Severa to her Lepidina greetings. On 11 September, sister, for the day of the celebration of my birthday, I give you a warm invitation to make sure that you come to us, to make the day more enjoyable for me by your arrival, if you are present (?). Give my greetings to your Cerialis. My Aelius and my little son send him (?) their greetings. (2nd hand) I shall expect you sister. Farewell, sister my dearest soul, as I hope to prosper, and hail.
Back: (1st hand) 'To Sulpicia Lepidina, wife of Cerialis, from Severa‘.

37. Curse Tablets

38. qu[i] mihi vilbiam in[v]olavit
sic liquat com[o] aqua …..
qui eam [invol] avit
… Velvinna Ex[s]upereus
Verianus Severinus
Augustalis Comitianus
Minianus Catus
Germanill[a] Iovina C1
May he who has stolen Vilbia become as liquid as water ..who has stolen it (or her) Velvinna, Exsupereus, Verianus, Severinus, Augustalis, Comitianus, Minianus, Catus, Germanilla, Jovina.
Since the list of possible suspects includes women’s names, this makes the idea of Vilbia being a girl more unlikely.

39. Docilianus Bruceri deae sanctissim[a]e Suli devoveo eum [q]ui
caracallam meum
involaverit si
vir si femina si
servus si liber
ut [..]um dea Sulis
maximo letum
[a]digat nec ei so
mnum permit
Docilianus [son] of Brucerus to the most holy goddess Sulis. I curse him who has stolen my hooded cloak, whether man or woman, whether slave or free, that .. the goddess Sulis inflict death upon .. and not allow him sleep or children now and in the future, until he has brought my hooded cloak to the temple of her divinity.

40. tat nec natos nec nascentes do[ne]c caracallam meam ad tem
plum sui numi
nis per[t]ulerit
Docilianus [son] of Brucerus to the most holy goddess Sulis. I curse him who has stolen my hooded cloak, whether man or woman, whether slave or free, that .. the goddess Sulis inflict death upon .. and not allow him sleep or children now and in the future, until he has brought my hooded cloak to the temple of her divinity.

41. Minerv[a]e
de[ae] Suli donavi
furem qui
caracallam
meam invo-
-lavit si ser[v]us
si liber si ba-
-ro si mulier
hoc donum non
redemat nessi
sangu[i]n[e] suo
N.B. vulgar spelling of ‘Minervae’
(‘ae’ and ‘i’ endings mean ‘to’ in Latin, and in the DATIVE case).
‘involavit’ spans two lines
N.B. vulgar spelling of ‘serus’ for servus
‘baro’ must be a Celtic word.
N.B. vulgar spelling of ‘nessi’ for nisi C3
To Minerva the goddess Sulis I have given the thief who has stolen my hooded cloak, whether slave or free, whether man or woman. He is not to buy back this gift unless with his own blood.

42. (solidum) involavit Mu- coni et argentiolos sex. ideo dono nomina
domine Neptune,
tibi dono hominem qui
(solidum) involavit Mu-
coni et argentiolos
sex. ideo dono nomina
qui decepit, si mascel si
femina, si puuer si puue-
lla. ideo dono tibi, Niske,
et Neptuno vitam, vali-
tudinem, sanguem eius
qui conscius fueris eius deceptionis. animus
qui hoc involavit et
qui conscius fuerit ut
eum decipias. furem
qui hoc involavit sanguem
eiius consumas et de-
cipias, domine Nep
tune.

43. Lord Neptune, I give you the man who has stolen the solidus and six argentioli of Muconius. So I give the names who took them away, whether male or female, whether boy or girl. So I give you, Niskus, and to Neptune the life, health, blood of him who has been privy to that taking-away. The mind which stole this and which has been privy to it, may you take it away. The thief who stole this, may you consume his blood and take it away, Lord Neptune

44. Everyday Writing in the Roman World
Sister Therese Marie Dougherty
Notre Dame of Maryland University
MFLA Fall Meeting
October 10, 2015