9A The Vindolanda Tablets Flashcards
Where (roughly) is Vindolanda?
Near Hadrian’s wall which is located near the border between modern-day Scotland and England
When were the Vindolanda tablets written?
Pre-Hadrianic times, but after the invasion of Britain (c. AD 93-103)
What materials are the tablets made of and how did people write on them?
- Thin leaves of wood
- Reed pens that were split nibbed (and a few styluses)
What poetry occurs on the Vindolanda tablets?
- Virgil’s Aeneid Book 9 + a line of Georgics
Bowman singles out one tablet as ‘perhaps the most important military document ever found in Britain’: why is that tablet so important?
The only strength report from Britain and the only example of a military cohort
How did the Romans make their occupation effective with so few soldiers?
Splitting them up into small groups made them appear more numerous than they actually were (and they had good communication)
Where did the military units at Vindolanda come from?
- Tungrian - from Trier
- Cavalry - Vardulli
How long (approximately) had the regions from which these units came been under Roman control at the time of the Vindolanda tablets?
30 years
What does Bowman deduce from Flavius Cerealis’ name?
“Flavius” indicates that he acquired Roman citizenship
Why was the census important, and who was responsible for it?
- The census is important to the organisation of newly acquired regions
- Flavius Genialis was responsible for it
What do we learn from Cerealis’ letter of recommendation for Brigonus?
That recommendations are handy for rising through the army
