Vindolanda was a Roman fort just south of Hadrian’s Wall in northern England, the northernmost boundary of the Roman Empire in Britan. It was occupied from about 85 CE to about 370 CE.
For lovers of language, Vindolanda is a treasure trove, because local conditions – including the anaerobic acid peaty soil that doesn’t allow for most bacterial activity – mean that many of the letters received by the Roman soldiers stationed there have survived, giving us insights into their lives, and how they communicated.
Written in Latin on thin pieces of wood about the size of a postcard, the Vindolanda tablets carry messages of all sorts: about supplies, about the soldiers’ daily lives, and about the things they missed from home.
One of the most endearing letters was written by Claudia Severa, the wife of a Roman commander, to her friend Sulpicia Lepidina, issuing an invitation to her birthday party:
‘On 11 September, sister, for the day of the celebration of my birthday, I give you a warm invitation to make sure that you come to us, to make the day more enjoyable for me by your arrival, if you are present. Give my greetings to your Cerialis. My Aelius and my little son send him their greetings.’
The Vindolanda Tablets remind us that, while the materials and modes employed may change, the urge to communicate – and to share happy times with our friends –has remained remarkably constant throughout time.
Photo Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-stone-wall-on-a-grassy-hill-with-a-river-in-the-distance-otx_TqFqxf0
