Saturday, March 8, 2014

Article: Roman Letter-1800 year old

A letter home from a Roman soldier 1,800 years ago has revealed that even for a volunteer on the front, family rows are still an issue.
The newly deciphered letter is from an Egyptian soldier named Aurelius Polion while he served as a volunteer in a Roman legion in Europe.
It reveals a row with his mother, and plans to return to his family.


The newly translated letter is from an Egyptian soldier named Aurelius Polion while he served as a volunteer Roman legion in Europe.


Addressed to his mother (a bread seller), sister and brother, part of it reads: 'I pray that you are in good health night and day, and I always make obeisance before all the gods on your behalf.
'I do not cease writing to you, but you do not have me in mind,
'I am worried about you because although you received letters from me often, you never wrote back to me so that I may know how you ...'
Researchers were able to translate the majority of the letter, although some pieces are missing - such as the end of the preceeding sentence.

The soldier says he has written six letters to his family without response, suggesting some sort of family tensions.
'While away in Pannonia I sent (letters) to you, but you treat me so as a stranger,' he writes.
'I shall obtain leave from the consular (commander), and I shall come to you so that you may know that I am your brother.'


The back of the letter contains instructions for the carrier to deliver it to a military veteran whose name may have been Acutius Leon who could forward it to Polion's family. Although the Roman Empire had a military postal system, Polion appears not to have used it, entrusting the veteran instead.

The letter was found outside a temple in the Egyptian town of Tebtunis more than a century ago by an archaeological expedition led by Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt, according to Livescience.
However, it was not transcribed until now, when Grant Adamson, a doctoral candidate at Rice University, created infrared images of it to reveal more of the text.
The back of the letter contains instructions for the carrier to deliver it to a military veteran whose name may have been Acutius Leon who could forward it to Polion's family.
Although the Roman Empire had a military postal system, Polion appears not to have used it, entrusting the veteran instead.

The letter is now in the Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley.

By Mark Prigg

No comments:

Post a Comment