Life and Letters on the Roman Frontier

"Over three hundred letters and documents have recently been discovered at the fort of Vindolanda, written on wooden tablets which have amazingly survived nearly 2000 years. Painstakingly deciphered by Alan Bowman and J. David Thomas, they have contributed a wealth of evidence for daily life in the Roman Empire." "From the military documents we learn of the strength and activities of the units stationed at Vindolanda. The accounts testify to the lifestyle of officers and ordinary soldiers, with payments for pepper and oil, towels and tallow, boots and beer. Then there are snapshots of domestic life in letters between the officers' wives, including a birthday invitation (see front cover). Most fascinating of all is the evidence for a high level of literacy in the Roman army, where even someone of humble rank receives a letter from home promising him a parcel of socks."--BOOK JACKET.

First sentence: Despite the very great advances brought by increased archaeological activity in recent years, the poverty of evidence for the period in the history of Roman Britain which lies between the end of Agricola's governorship and the construction of Hadrians Wall (c. AD 85-122) has been striking by comparison with later periods in Britain, and with other provinces of the Roman empire.

Year

1994

Language

English

Publisher

British Museum Pubns Ltd

Editions

2

Pages

160

ISBN

9780714113890

Data source: Wikidata