Published Military Diploma dating to the Reign of Emperor Hadrian with Exact Date

Culture: Roman

Period: 20th August 127 A.D.

Material: Bronze

Dimensions: 3.9 cm x 2.9 cm

Price: 500 Euro

Ref: 3740

Provenance: From the German collection Peter Weiß, acquired between 1967 and 2015.

Condition: Beautifully preserved fragment with clearly legible inscription.

Description: Small bronze fragment of Tabella II of a Roman military diploma with beautiful green patina. The former inside of the diploma reads the exact dating, namely “XIII K(alendas) Sept(embres)”. This corresponds to 13 days prior to the calends of September, whereby the first and the last day are included. This results on the 20th of August. Finally, the cognomen of one of the two consuls can be discerned below the date, who was in charge during the issuance of the diploma. It is M. Licinius Celer Nepos. With these details, the fragment can be dated 20th of August 127 A.D. The back, also the outside of the diploma, mentions two witnesses. The preserved endings in the genitive case belong to the names L. Pullius Verecundus, who is attested from 79 to 129 A.D. and Ti. Claudius Menander. In this constellation the diploma could only be issued in the provinces of Britannia or Germania inferior. See for this argumentation the publication of the fragment in: Peter Weiß “Aus einer der Konstitutionen Hadrians vom 20. August 127”, in: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, volume 171, 2009, no 3, p. 237f.