A Roman Birthday Invitation, Signed in Her Own Hand #Shorts
Pack: 35 - A Roman Birthday Invitation, Signed in Her Own Hand
Around 100 CE, at the Roman fort of Vindolanda in northern Britain, Claudia Severa invited her friend Sulpicia Lepidina to her birthday party. A scribe wrote the invitation on a thin wooden tablet; Severa added the last lines herself. They are almost certainly the earliest known Latin written by a woman.
- The tablet dates to AD 97–105 and was found at Vindolanda in 1985 (Roman Inscriptions of Britain, Tab. Vindol. 291).
- It invites Lepidina, wife of Flavius Cerialis, prefect of the Ninth Cohort of Batavians, for "the day of the celebration of my birthday" on 11 September (RIB, Tab. Vindol. 291 and 284; tr. Bowman & Thomas).
- In a second hand, Severa wrote: "I shall expect you, sister. Farewell, sister, my dearest soul…" (RIB, Tab. Vindol. 291).
- Oxygen-free soil preserved the wood and ink; at least 1,700 tablets have been found at Vindolanda since 1973, and this is the best known (Live Science, 2024).
- Hadrian's Wall came later: Hadrian began it in 122 (Britannica).
Do you think Lepidina made it to the party? Tell us in the comments. Full story in our documentary, The Full History of Rome.
Quick answers
What is “A Roman Birthday Invitation, Signed in Her Own Hand” about?
Around 100 CE, at the Roman fort of Vindolanda in northern Britain, Claudia Severa invited her friend Sulpicia Lepidina to her birthday party. A scribe wrote the invitation on a thin wooden tablet; Severa added the last lines herself. They are almost certainly the earliest known Latin written by a woman.
What are the key facts?
The tablet dates to AD 97–105 and was found at Vindolanda in 1985 (Roman Inscriptions of Britain, Tab. Vindol. 291). It invites Lepidina, wife of Flavius Cerialis, prefect of the Ninth Cohort of Batavians, for "the day of the celebration of my birthday" on 11 September (RIB, Tab. Vindol. 291 and 284; tr. Bowman & Thomas).
What sources is this Short based on?
It cites Roman Inscriptions of Britain, Tab. Vindol. 291, Birthday Invitation of Sulpicia Lepidina; Roman Inscriptions of Britain, Tab. Vindol. 284 (Flavius Cerialis); Live Science (Kristina Killgrove), December 30, 2024; Britannica, Hadrian's Wall. Links are in the Sources list below.
Sources
- Roman Inscriptions of Britain, Tab. Vindol. 291, Birthday Invitation of Sulpicia Lepidina
- Roman Inscriptions of Britain, Tab. Vindol. 284 (Flavius Cerialis)
- Live Science (Kristina Killgrove), December 30, 2024
- Britannica, Hadrian's Wall
Images
- Vindolanda fort remains, 2017 — Victuallers — CC BY 4.0 —
- Vindolanda, main road through the site, 2017 — Victuallers — CC BY 4.0 —
- Military bathhouse at Vindolanda, 2007 — Voice of Clam — Public domain —
- Vindolanda site walls, 2017 — Victuallers — CC BY 4.0 —
- Volunteers digging for finds at Vindolanda, 2017 (cropped) — Victuallers — CC BY 4.0 —
- Hadrian's Wall west of Housesteads — Steven Fruitsmaak — Public domain —
- The tablet itself is not shown; its text is quoted from the Bowman & Thomas translation (RIB).
