If you look around on youtube there's a video where they read the epitaphs from a Roman pet cemetery, its probably the most pointlessly sad video on youtube, but does make you see the Romans as very human.
The Vindolanda tablets also include a letter from a worried mother having heard that the climate at Hadrian's Wall was very cold in winter, enclosed a gift of hand-knitted warm socks ... and a party invitation from one woman to another on this, the most northerly frontier of the Roman empire. R (Australia)
I love these letters because they remind you that first and foremost, that these were real people. With families, loved ones, hopes and dreams, pet peeves and annoyances, etc… it’s very enlightening and helps us relate to these people who lived thousands of years ago.
Interesting as a young soldier in viet nam on the DMZ, i had no good socks or underware due to a seige. Sent a request to my mother and received once things quieted down two packages of socks snd underwear plus some snacks. Couldnt help but smile at the roman soldier who got knitted socks.
I too had to smile at the mention of warm knitted socks from a mother to her legionary son. I spent 2 years in Germany and the winters were damnably cold. I wrote home for some battery operated socks which my folks hastily sent. The more things change....
Nothing ever changes except for the stage settings and thecast members in lifes constant drama. The scrip always remains the same or so this fellow with 3/4 of a century experience and love of history believes.
As I recall, at least one letter referred, not just to socks, but to warm underpants. Hardly surprising. if you are standing on the wall at midnight, in winter, you’ll want more than just a tunic between the North Wind and your essentials.
@@BlindSquirrel666 "Bolochus frigidus nomorus. 🩳 Called simply 'Bolfriginos' in vulgar Latin." Prof Quentin Blenkinsopp, Perils of Roman Britain & Ancient Caledonia, Univ of Suxford Press 🧐
Thus proving that the Scots are tougher cookies than any Roman Legionnaire. It was only after 1707 and the anglicisation of the lowlands that the hardy Scots were infiltrated by lilly-livered Sasenachs (Saxons) with their pink frilly knickers and their troosers. What the ladies wore I don't know:-)
It reminds me of when I lived in Wiesbaden, Germany, which in Roman times was a major fortress and settlement. There was a short bridge from the Roman period there, and just below it a few Roman gravestones. One was of a centurion. So there I was, a U.S. Army officer serving in Germany, looking at the gravestone of a Roman Army officer serving in Germany. It was an interesting feeling.
In the ancient city square in Regensburg is the central cathedral surrounded by a wall. The wall is not very high, but obviously of great age. In the centre of the wall is a gateway in the form of an arch. Carved into the arch are the words "Porta Praetoria". These words signify the front gate of a Roman legion fortress. Regensburg was created by the Romans as a legion fortress. Regensburg was one of the relatively convenient crossing places over the Danube River, hence the need to garrison it strongly.
@@colinhunt4057 If you go to Trier (originally Augustinium Treverorum) you can see the Black Gate or "Porta Nigra," one of the four gates of the original city fortification. The city was founded in the first century and originally unwalled, because it was on the "safe" side of the Rhine, over 50km inside the imperial border. Then, in the 3rd century, the Romans realized they had to fortify it. The gate is truly massive...the walls were high and thick...and just as they finished the fortifications, the Alemanni stormed through and sacked the city. Oh, the irony.
@@njhoepner Trier, formerly known as Treves in English, was I believe the former capital of the western Roman Empire. At that time, the Empire had four capitals: Augustinium Trevororum, Ravenna, Constantinople and Antioch. These served the purpose of allowing the resident Emperor or Caesar to remain closer to the local armies defending the frontier. Trier would have been one of the principal cities of the empire in the 3rd century AD., as it would have been the administrative centre of Britain, France, Spain. Trier would also have the advantage of being on a main commercial highway of the western Empire, the Rhine River. It would be nice to visit it someday. There are few enough Roman ruins surviving to this day, and it would be good to see more of them.
@@colinhunt4057 Trier was a capital, and when they could no longer keep it secure it moved, eventually to Milan, and then Ravenna when even Italy was no longer secure. Trier is pretty impressive to visit. There's the gate, the amphitheater, and a medieval cathedral that is also pretty cool to see.
The Vindolanda tablets are my favourite find in archaeology. They just so humanise the community there. I love the complaint about the state of the roads. Just shows how the myth and reality aren't always the same. They also have interesting examples of people using latin letters to transliterate the local Celtic languages into writing.
Transcribe is the word you want I think. As far as I can tell the ancient Celts had no written language to transliterate. Transcribe means to put spoken words into written form. Transliterate means to put one form of writing into another form of writing. An example would be turning Chinese ideograms into Latin script so they can be read in English.
That was very interesting, due to the fact that the soldiers that wrote these letters 2000 years-ago were dead but their words were preserved and alive for 45 generations. For us to read and learn from.
@@TopRomanFacts The same as us. Upset over it most likely. The Romans had the same struggles as us today, but the technology was way different. Think if we today were in the same boat as the Romans were. 2000 years from now somebody discovers a well-preserved cell phone, or I pad and found a way to activate it and read our stored emails. I wonder how they would see us primitives today. 🤔
It's probably closer to 100 generations. It's only recent people have children later in life, people had short life expectancy then. I bet it was common for 20 year old women to have a child already. 2000 / 20 = 100.
Similar to the apostle Paul's style? Not even close. These notes are all very stiff and full of unnecessary wordiness. Paul's writing is dense and complex, but nothing is "fluff" or extraneous. It's incredibly deep, philosophical reasoning. Analytical brilliance, not tedium. And, Paul was writing in koine Greek, not Latin. So very different.
I was lazy not walking the length of the wall but seeing the main parts it was lovely weather and just great to see especially the letters saved from Vindolanda, it's as if you can touch history You reading these reminds me of that trip 👍
The HBO series, ROME was an eye opener into how Romans lived, fought and died. The soldiers Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo were actual people, mentioned in Julius Caesars conquest of Britain. They both were centurions, vying for the top spot SNCO in their Unit and by Caesar`s account were both absolute machines. Do your own research into those blokes. In the armoury at Royal Marines Commando Training Centre, down one side is a long counter where recruits draw their weapons for training . On the wall down the opposite side, was a series of drawings comparing our training to that of Roman Legionnairs. Not much has changed in two thousand years! Ray Stevenson who passed away recently, played Pullo with such aplomb that I would be happy to have him as a Marine in my Troop. Rest Easy Ray, sleep well Pullo
It was cancelled because it cost so much to make. They even cut back on things in the second season and it seemed kind of rushed to me. I have never, ever seen a series more real, more accurate, more visually perfect than that series. Back when HBO actually had decent series like the sopranos etc and ROME. Actually the new series The Chosen is about as good, without the huge budget and yet it still looks fantastic and very authentic and real.
Well .sometimes it has to be rewritten. Such as Custer's Last Stand. This was panic and running for their lives and much disorganized chaos. Blue Sones once told came from Wales to Stonehenge is now no longer the case. Based on archeological findings findings .
Surprised at how similar these letters would be if written today. Romans were concerned about food prices and quality, road conditions, payments, shopping lists, etc. Thanks for sharing these letters.
When decades ago I first visited the JP Getty museum in Malibu, my favorite item therein was not some massive marble statue or old master painting but rather a small bronze tablet in a back cabinet. It said, roughly, "Publius Severus Cassus (I forget the actual name): fourth legion, second maniple, third cohort, is hereby....etc. etc. It was an official discharge form from the Roman army, thanking the soldier in question for his service and awarding him his plot of land in (now) Italy. Suddenly 2000 years dropped away.
While I was in USMC boot camp in fall of 1985….I sent a letter to my biological mom and biological dad…both divorced from each other since I was 9 years old…mom ( a part time waitress at Denny’s )..sent me cookies and photos of her dad who was a former US Marine. I got a letter from my biological father while I was in boot camp also…he said he was repulsed and disgusted with me going into the USMC….he was a devote Jehovah Witness. I just retired as a Lieutenant General, Vice Chair on the Joint Chief of Staff…38 years serving my country. He ended up fleeing the USA as a felony charged tax evader and for insurance fraud…He is perceived to reside on the Cook Island, Rarotonga, Matavera ….Some pain as a child will stay with you for decades….
@@chisciccise all except for roman punishments ranging anywhere from being turned into a slave with no rights to mass executions, the particular roman soldiers who wrote these letters do sound fairly warm and considerate
@@TopRomanFacts j'étais sur le Mur d'Hadrien il y a bien 30 ans. Le paysage , admirable, du soleil, des digitales pourpres (foxgloves). Un brave chien courait au sommet, tout joyeux. Et sa maitresse un peu âgée me disant : Yet, he's older than me by dogs' standards ! J' ai même trouvé un bout de hache de pierre, brisée, que j'ai perdu depuis.
At 3:50, a certain Octavius writes about acquiring 5000 "ears of corn" for the garrison. I'm no expert, but I recall that "corn" in ancient context is a translation of "granum", a Latin term for "grain" in general. Modern corn (or maize) is a New World crop the Romans had no knowledge of. Did Octavius mean "sheaves of grain"?
Corn is a term used by historians to refer to grains in general. For example the British Corn Laws were about wheat, not the New World crop. Octavius was referring to wheat or barely
Technically "corn" means the most common grain crop of a region. In North America, it has come to mean "maise" but in formal speach, especially in the UK, it retains its older meaning.
So, an "ear of corn" would be a head of wheat or barley on a very short stem & unthreshed. Sheaves would refer to bundles of long straw with the unthreshed heads or ears still attached. Threshed grain would be sold by weight or volume similar to today.
In all of Scandinavia (as well as to some extent in German speaking countries) - the common word for all grain is "Korn"...i.e. "Corn". The only word ever used for "Maize" is..."Mais".
This is very interesting seeing so many different classes of people writing in Ancient Rome. Many countries after were limited in those who could read and write.
It reminds me of Aurelius Polion's letter that he wrote home to Egypt, while in Pannonia. The letter was found in Egypt, so it reached his family, but we don't know if he managed to return home. Here in Italy he moved everyone, I will send this video to the Italian Scripta Manent channel, thanks for talking about it. ^_^
I'm surprised how unreadable are those letters written in whatever cursive that was used by them, like in, they have little or no apparent resemblance to the capital letters of their monuments.
Yes it is shocking at first. It's the same if you compare the this text composed for the Internet... very legible compared to most people's scruffy hand writing. Luckily some people are smart cookies and have deciphered these tablets
But not really any different to hand-writing. Until printed text became common-place handwriting was pretty crazy up until very recently. Still is. People used to be much more used to seeing it. We have iteasy these days
@loxodoncyclotis1823 But we Westerners are also stymied by Arabic writing. And there are so many different middle and far Eastern forms of script! Amazing world we enjoy.
I listen to a podcast called "stuff you should know"(very good), where they talk alot of various subjects, but one really stuck out in my head, about Language being a "living" thing! Always changing...(like ppl) BUT... Still,,, we communicate 😊
BTW. My dad served in the US Navy during WW II. Letters to and from service members overseas were microfilmed and sent as what was called V mail. These Roman soldier's letters strike me as a similar format.
Words are a index character they indicated the intelligence of the Person who wrote them. 2000 years old and they sound highly intelligent conversations .
I loved this! Thank you so much. I am an unabashed history nerd and love things like this. I have always maintained that people who say they don't like history have never been taught that it's about REAL PEOPLE. (P.S., I just subscribed.)
" Even though I cannot see you I think of you, even though I cannot talk to you I hear you. I will always love you and never let the distance of time break my honour of calling you my brother "
the concept of the written word is one of the most over looked inventions i hold dear, how it can take a thought, an idea, an emotion, and place it on paper, then transport that thought, emotion, thousands of years in to the future ...still amazes me
Roman soldiers could read and write to each other and even to slaves. This is the first time I've heard of people in this level of society being literate. It's interesting, surprising.
Roman soldiers had to be able to read, write and count to qualify as centurions. Regardless of how short the army may have been at times of qualified NCOs, centurions and a number of other senior ranks such as tesserarri and optiones had to have the same basic skills of literacy and numeracy as a condition of rank. The Roman army was run by its NCOs who were all long-service professional serving under the eagles for up to 25 years. Hands down, the Roman army was the most experienced military the world had ever seen. Nothing else came remotely close to it, before or after. It's like would never be seen again until the 19th century in terms of professional experience of its rank and file.
Roman empire had one of the highest literacy rates in pre modern times. This was not limited to the military. But it was more widespread in the cities. Proficiency though varied a lot, some might have taken their time to write and read those letters.
Outstanding!!!!!! I was just teleported back in time 2000 years. And to think I hated history when I was young - now I can’t get enough. These are marvelous.
The issue with that is, it is completely different than classical Latin. There are so many words that no one even knew before the tablets were found and they had to find out what could be meant. Also they are very fragmented, so most of them have huge gaps and some only a few words.
There's some good books on the uncovered graffiti at Pompeii (70 CE)........there was a pending local election and a lot of comments. Also a lot of the shop signage has survived.......interesting view into ordinary lives.......It appears that a lot of people could read and write.
Thats a high quality and varied diet enjoyed by the roman soldiers. Most people of that time were stuck eating grains and perhaps some figs. But then again, they were serving the greatest empire that had ever been seen at that time.
@@TopRomanFacts in the imperial times, sense of romanness extended to all conquered, which culminated in the Edition of caracalla which gave all free inhabitants of the empire citizenship, no matter if they were egyptian, italian, or brythonic. Its also the reason why revolts mostly stopped happening. (Except the jews)
These letters seem to have been written in some sort of cursive script, extremely difficult to decipher, although some of the letters resemble our modern alphabet. I recognized the letter "f" - so, a kind of stenographic script seems to have been in use as early as 200-300 AD/CE ...
Ilived in the States for a long time. There, you can chose between "Christian Era" and "Anno Domini" in order not to chafe anyone religious belief. Cu, bud
Quite true. I wonder when the letters "XOXO" at the end of a letter became popular. I was thinking, perhaps during WW I or WW II, when the soldiers or GI's sometimes only had very small cards to send to their family ...
Imagine travelling on them bumpy roads 2000 years ago, if they were worried about injuring the animals then they must mave been one hell of a bumpy ride, its incredible listening to and know that people back then were just like us today, amazing
Great to see a video about this topic. As I have written my Bachelor Thesis on this topic, I want to add a few things: 1. Although the Garrison of Vindolanda was part of the roman army, they were not of roman decent. In that timeframe the troops stationes there were auxilliari cohorts of the Batavians and Tungrians, which came from todays Netherlands. Even when the tablets were written in Latin, it was not their first language. 2. 0:33 Cerialis was not a soldier, but the Prefect of the Garrison 3. The guy that got beaten up was not a soldier, he was a merchant from overseas. It is not clear from where he came, but he was no roman citizen nor was he a Brit how he stated in his letter. He complained that he got beaten even though he was not a Brit, which implies that the Britons treated worse than other foreigners. But what is most fascinating about this letter is, that it was addressed directly to the Emporer Hadrian who resided in Vindolanda for a while, while the Hadrians wall was built. But most likely the letter never reached Hadrian, as it was found in the centurions block. It is possible that they gave him another beating for that letter. 4. The merchant that bought 5000 moddi of ears of corn and needs money desperately could very well be the same guy that got beaten up (I forgot if it was because of the similar handwriting or because it was on the other side of the same tablet). Judging on the risky deals this guy made, it seems not impossible that a guy like that might get himself in trouble.
Very interesting listening to these. The style of writing, the phrases used and such sound so much like the the epistles (letters) of the New Testament that were also written in this time period.
I find it most curious that the letters are all so very formal and plainly matter of fact. No embellishments, and the only warmth being at the end wishing the receiver good fortunes. I wonder if this was uniform way of writing in the era, or if it was simply these were soldiers letters?
From googling it there Roman postal system was reserved mainly to military and for tax affairs. So I suspect they weren't engaging in chit chat, serious matters only? Not like today, we have all sorts of quick and easy communication means.
This is the coolest ever, im a Marine Combat Vet. N ehen we were in bootcamp all we could do is write letters back home. Oh how i would write n write to everyone i could trying to grasp kust a bit of the world i left behind 😢😂..
were these letters written by the same "scribe" ? (the handwriting looks similar) Why are they grouped together? did they still have to be sent? (and were not shipped for an external event?!)
Some tablets were written by a scribe but most were individually written, probably by the senders. They were found in similar contexts but probably were dumped with the rubbish. They therefore were already sent and read, or a discarded draft
Excellent, would love to see more of this. I did like the different take on 'The Hides of March' though. 4:46 and before anyone replies, it was a joke OK, Beware the Ides lol.
For those who don't know: Wikipedia - 'The Ides of March ... is the 74th day in the Roman calendar, corresponding to 15 March.' R (Australia) Fun fact: I used to live on a farm just 20 minutes on foot from Vindolanda and got to see some of the tablets when they were first discovered ...
Hmm would be now nice to know how the post service worked. I mean their relatives or friends lived in different corners of the empire. How do they managed to get the letters?
i've heard about these letters, voices just like ours, from so long ago, so it's really great to actually hear some.. thankyou for sharing this... is there more? 🙂
It's estimated that up to 25% of the army were literate, with virtually all centurions and other higher ups being literate to complete accurate records. Some of these tablets were written by the soldiers themselves, whereas others they simply would have asked their literate friend to write it for them. The military had its own postal service. You just wrote the name of the soldier you wanted to send a letter to, where he was based, and pay a fee. It would, most often than not, show up up to a few months later. But communications between closer more central provinces was quicker
@@TopRomanFacts amazing, writing letters is one thing but having a system empire wide to distribute them is another, just saw it on britannica, the cursus publicus. however, like other empires it was most for govt' related business so i guess for military, it was also gov't in a way. There is suggestion for personal mail it was carried by friends or slaves ... 'if you are going to X, could you take these to Y?'
Wood would make it from one station to another better than paper. Paper flies away much easier than wood. AND you can wrap it up and put in a package better.
Caesar used paper and it was cut and sewn into 'Codex' - early books. so they had paper over 30 years before the Republic 'fell'' . But it was way too expensive for 'common use' like letters. Wood would aso travel well.
This makes me think how we as humans who do not have a choice as when to be, we all have just a small slot in time to exist. Some shorter than others will and did. Make well that moment in time.
I'm not joking. As I say in the video, when they were discovered, they were the the oldest handwritten texts ever found in Britain, and thr oldest found in Latin. Since then tablets discovered in London have predated them. Whilst other texts survive that are older, they are all inscribed on stone, and are therefore not handwritten
@chrislambert9435 it's not just semantics. We didn't know the tablets in London existed until they were discovered. We only know artefacts that have been discovered. Therefore the most accurate thing to say is that they were the oldest when they were discovered
@thiloreichelt4199 technically they aren't written upon they are pressed with a wooden tool. Cuneiform (which literally means 'wedge shaped') texts rely on pressing little wedges into the clay rather than writing freehand
It is precious to hear from human beings that far back in time. Thank you for it.
It is a miracle really. Thanks for you comment!
@@TopRomanFactssounds like they hand made a lot of things with the hides, sinew, threshing grain etc..
Makes them very human to us instead of legend.
If you look around on youtube there's a video where they read the epitaphs from a Roman pet cemetery, its probably the most pointlessly sad video on youtube, but does make you see the Romans as very human.
@@Sketch_Sesh people were pretty industrious about making a lot of the things that they needed, before very recent history.
The Vindolanda tablets also include a letter from a worried mother having heard that the climate at Hadrian's Wall was very cold in winter, enclosed a gift of hand-knitted warm socks ... and a party invitation from one woman to another on this, the most northerly frontier of the Roman empire. R (Australia)
I love those letters too, thank you for bringing them up. I feel like this topic deserves a part 2!
Well said proggs 😉
Australia? Damn, the Romans sure ventured far!
I was wondering why those were left out!
Aha Australia eh?!
This makes them very real: dealing with friendships and family, money matters, supply needs, justice.. just like us today.
It's a breath of fresh air compared to normal history focused on war and politics
Yeah its almost if theyre humans. /S Very nice indeed. That's why I generally like memoirs and old diaries.
@user-uu1nw1bl9j yes but humans who crucified people! They're like us but not like us at the same time
Why wouldn't they have to do deal with those things?
as if the letter writers were compelled to a code of due diligence, suffer the consequences
People are people ……. even two thousand years ago .
Same hopes , same dreams. Makes it all the more palpable.
People never change!
@@TopRomanFactsOnly the stuff around us…
Their brains had the same software as we do now
Yes !
And we all still slaves to a society we never asked for .
Funny innit .
I love these letters because they remind you that first and foremost, that these were real people. With families, loved ones, hopes and dreams, pet peeves and annoyances, etc… it’s very enlightening and helps us relate to these people who lived thousands of years ago.
Well put 👏
Yes they were real people. Not fake people.
Why would we think they were fake people?
Interesting as a young soldier in viet nam on the DMZ, i had no good socks or underware due to a seige. Sent a request to my mother and received once things quieted down two packages of socks snd underwear plus some snacks. Couldnt help but smile at the roman soldier who got knitted socks.
It's sweet how some things never change
I too had to smile at the mention of warm knitted socks from a mother to her legionary son. I spent 2 years in Germany and the winters were damnably cold. I wrote home for some battery operated socks which my folks hastily sent. The more things change....
Thank you for your service sir ❤
Nothing ever changes except for the stage settings and thecast members in lifes constant drama. The scrip always remains the same or so this fellow with 3/4 of a century experience and love of history believes.
Your mother had to send you clothes, this should be the Gobertment duty.I am shocked.
As I recall, at least one letter referred, not just to socks, but to warm underpants. Hardly surprising. if you are standing on the wall at midnight, in winter, you’ll want more than just a tunic between the North Wind and your essentials.
That's a great letter
Is that the letter wherein we learned the Latin word for underwear?@@TopRomanFacts
@@BlindSquirrel666
"Bolochus frigidus nomorus. 🩳
Called simply 'Bolfriginos' in vulgar Latin." Prof Quentin Blenkinsopp, Perils of Roman Britain & Ancient Caledonia, Univ of Suxford Press 🧐
Thus proving that the Scots are tougher cookies than any Roman Legionnaire.
It was only after 1707 and the anglicisation of the lowlands that the hardy Scots were infiltrated by lilly-livered Sasenachs (Saxons) with their pink frilly knickers and their troosers. What the ladies wore I don't know:-)
@@rickh3714 🤣🤣🤣
Problems of every day people are about the same them as now. Great find!
People never change
It reminds me of when I lived in Wiesbaden, Germany, which in Roman times was a major fortress and settlement. There was a short bridge from the Roman period there, and just below it a few Roman gravestones. One was of a centurion. So there I was, a U.S. Army officer serving in Germany, looking at the gravestone of a Roman Army officer serving in Germany. It was an interesting feeling.
In the ancient city square in Regensburg is the central cathedral surrounded by a wall. The wall is not very high, but obviously of great age. In the centre of the wall is a gateway in the form of an arch. Carved into the arch are the words "Porta Praetoria". These words signify the front gate of a Roman legion fortress. Regensburg was created by the Romans as a legion fortress. Regensburg was one of the relatively convenient crossing places over the Danube River, hence the need to garrison it strongly.
@@colinhunt4057 If you go to Trier (originally Augustinium Treverorum) you can see the Black Gate or "Porta Nigra," one of the four gates of the original city fortification. The city was founded in the first century and originally unwalled, because it was on the "safe" side of the Rhine, over 50km inside the imperial border. Then, in the 3rd century, the Romans realized they had to fortify it. The gate is truly massive...the walls were high and thick...and just as they finished the fortifications, the Alemanni stormed through and sacked the city. Oh, the irony.
@@njhoepner Trier, formerly known as Treves in English, was I believe the former capital of the western Roman Empire. At that time, the Empire had four capitals: Augustinium Trevororum, Ravenna, Constantinople and Antioch. These served the purpose of allowing the resident Emperor or Caesar to remain closer to the local armies defending the frontier. Trier would have been one of the principal cities of the empire in the 3rd century AD., as it would have been the administrative centre of Britain, France, Spain. Trier would also have the advantage of being on a main commercial highway of the western Empire, the Rhine River.
It would be nice to visit it someday. There are few enough Roman ruins surviving to this day, and it would be good to see more of them.
@@colinhunt4057 Trier was a capital, and when they could no longer keep it secure it moved, eventually to Milan, and then Ravenna when even Italy was no longer secure.
Trier is pretty impressive to visit. There's the gate, the amphitheater, and a medieval cathedral that is also pretty cool to see.
Rowdy Germans always needing occupation lmao.
Closest we'll get to actually sitting in a room with a Roman.
Great way to put it
I'm pretty sure you can sit in a room with any of the 3 million romans alive today.
@@remilenoir1271 that's a very large room
Or just go to the US since it’s the current Roman Empire….
@@ironhell813 Roman Republic*, we haven't turned Imperial yet.
The Vindolanda tablets are my favourite find in archaeology. They just so humanise the community there. I love the complaint about the state of the roads. Just shows how the myth and reality aren't always the same. They also have interesting examples of people using latin letters to transliterate the local Celtic languages into writing.
Yep very well put 👏
"Transliterate" - a new word for me. Thx.
Transcribe is the word you want I think. As far as I can tell the ancient Celts had no written language to transliterate.
Transcribe means to put spoken words into written form. Transliterate means to put one form of writing into another form of writing. An example would be turning Chinese ideograms into Latin script so they can be read in English.
@@view1st Much obliged
How marvelous! We are reading letter from 2000 years ago! Love it!
And we are doing so due to the potluck nature of archaeology
That was very interesting, due to the fact that the soldiers that wrote these letters 2000 years-ago were dead but their words were preserved and alive for 45 generations. For us to read and learn from.
I sometimes wonder how they would have felt about us reading their immortal words
@@TopRomanFacts The same as us. Upset over it most likely. The Romans had the same struggles as us today, but the technology was way different. Think if we today were in the same boat as the Romans were. 2000 years from now somebody discovers a well-preserved cell phone, or I pad and found a way to activate it and read our stored emails. I wonder how they would see us primitives today. 🤔
If it were my daughter’s old cell phone, it is highly doubtful that they would understand the meanings of the messages!!
It's probably closer to 100 generations. It's only recent people have children later in life, people had short life expectancy then. I bet it was common for 20 year old women to have a child already. 2000 / 20 = 100.
@@masti733You may be actually closer than I was in the generational estimate.
It always gives me chills to think of all the lives before us that has come and gone. Lived, loved, fought, died, and that will never be here again.
I did enjoy their words. Thank you for bringing them to us!
Thanks!
It’s funny how close in style this is to Paul’s epistles.
Very similar
This must be the polite style of Latin afforded when you were writing or talking publicly. Because it sounds too stiff to be vernacular.
I also thought so.
Paul was a Roman.
Similar to the apostle Paul's style? Not even close. These notes are all very stiff and full of unnecessary wordiness.
Paul's writing is dense and complex, but nothing is "fluff" or extraneous. It's incredibly deep, philosophical reasoning. Analytical brilliance, not tedium. And, Paul was writing in koine Greek, not Latin.
So very different.
I was lazy not walking the length of the wall but seeing the main parts it was lovely weather and just great to see especially the letters saved from Vindolanda, it's as if you can touch history
You reading these reminds me of that trip 👍
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for you comments
The HBO series, ROME was an eye opener into how Romans lived, fought and died. The soldiers Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo were actual people, mentioned in Julius Caesars conquest of Britain. They both were centurions, vying for the top spot SNCO in their Unit and by Caesar`s account were both absolute machines. Do your own research into those blokes.
In the armoury at Royal Marines Commando Training Centre, down one side is a long counter where recruits draw their weapons for training . On the wall down the opposite side, was a series of drawings comparing our training to that of Roman Legionnairs. Not much has changed in two thousand years!
Ray Stevenson who passed away recently, played Pullo with such aplomb that I would be happy to have him as a Marine in my Troop.
Rest Easy Ray, sleep well Pullo
HBO Rome is an amazing piece of TV. It's such a shame it was cancelled before the full multi series plan could have been filmed
Amazing show!!!
RIP titus pullo!
It was cancelled because it cost so much to make. They even cut back on things in the second season and it seemed kind of rushed to me. I have never, ever seen a series more real, more accurate, more visually perfect than that series. Back when HBO actually had decent series like the sopranos etc and ROME. Actually the new series The Chosen is about as good, without the huge budget and yet it still looks fantastic and very authentic and real.
Had no idea he passed. RIP. The Pullo character was epic.
“He has not credited them to my account“?
Implying some banking system? Wow. I would love to know more.
Yes it's so interesting! Perhaps this will he a video one day... thanks for the comment
That sentence caught my attention, too..
@TopRomanFacts please do !!
They had some kind of banking and credit system, just like the Crusaders a little later.
Banking in Ancient Rome is a Wikipedia article.
I visited there back in Nov of 2023. and YES it was chilly rainy and wet... and I LOVED every minute of it.
It's just get. I have to go back!
@@TopRomanFactsI was just thinking about that last night.
I love history warts and all. I dislike people trying to rewrite history. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for the comment!
I have to agree with this.
Well .sometimes it has to be rewritten. Such as Custer's Last Stand. This was panic and running for their lives and much disorganized chaos. Blue Sones once told came from Wales to Stonehenge is now no longer the case. Based on archeological findings findings .
I can't imagine how long it took for letters to arrive at their destination. These days people don't even want to wait through a red light.
Surprised at how similar these letters would be if written today. Romans were concerned about food prices and quality, road conditions, payments, shopping lists, etc.
Thanks for sharing these letters.
Truly remarkable , it really brings these people to life ! This is one video to keep !
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it
When decades ago I first visited the JP Getty museum in Malibu, my favorite item therein was not some massive marble statue or old master painting but rather a small bronze tablet in a back cabinet. It said, roughly, "Publius Severus Cassus (I forget the actual name): fourth legion, second maniple, third cohort, is hereby....etc. etc.
It was an official discharge form from the Roman army, thanking the soldier in question for his service and awarding him his plot of land in (now) Italy. Suddenly 2000 years dropped away.
While I was in USMC boot camp in fall of 1985….I sent a letter to my biological mom and biological dad…both divorced from each other since I was 9 years old…mom ( a part time waitress at Denny’s )..sent me cookies and photos of her dad who was a former US Marine. I got a letter from my biological father while I was in boot camp also…he said he was repulsed and disgusted with me going into the USMC….he was a devote Jehovah Witness. I just retired as a Lieutenant General, Vice Chair on the Joint Chief of Staff…38 years serving my country. He ended up fleeing the USA as a felony charged tax evader and for insurance fraud…He is perceived to reside on the Cook Island, Rarotonga, Matavera ….Some pain as a child will stay with you for decades….
damn the Roman Soldiers had it better than you...
And some pains move in for good. A JW dad - Yikes!
What has your personal story to do with the history of the Roman Empire?
Thank you for sharing your story. It’s a contemporary version of a sentiment that could have been written 2,000 years ago. ❤
Nice story. You mom at Denny's, your JW pop who obviously didn't stay on the straight and narrow.
They sound like warmer & more considerate individuals than people are today.
Wtf! Hardly! Read up on Rome and the Romans.
That’s an easy task ,if you ask me, but yes, they probably were.
@@chisciccise all except for roman punishments ranging anywhere from being turned into a slave with no rights to mass executions, the particular roman soldiers who wrote these letters do sound fairly warm and considerate
@@loafoffloof3420 Wow, virtue signaling at it’s best!
Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, doesn’t it?
Showing times change but people don't. So interesting. Thank you!
Just amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!❤
Glad you enjoyed!
Excellent
I visited the Wall last year absolutely fantastic and Vindolanda breathtaking
Amazing I love Hadrian's Wall. Did you do a hike or just visit the main bits?
@@TopRomanFacts j'étais sur le Mur d'Hadrien il y a bien 30 ans. Le paysage , admirable, du soleil, des digitales pourpres (foxgloves). Un brave chien courait au sommet, tout joyeux. Et sa maitresse un peu âgée me disant : Yet, he's older than me by dogs' standards ! J' ai même trouvé un bout de hache de pierre, brisée, que j'ai perdu depuis.
At 3:50, a certain Octavius writes about acquiring 5000 "ears of corn" for the garrison. I'm no expert, but I recall that "corn" in ancient context is a translation of "granum", a Latin term for "grain" in general. Modern corn (or maize) is a New World crop the Romans had no knowledge of. Did Octavius mean "sheaves of grain"?
Corn is a term used by historians to refer to grains in general. For example the British Corn Laws were about wheat, not the New World crop. Octavius was referring to wheat or barely
Technically "corn" means the most common grain crop of a region. In North America, it has come to mean "maise" but in formal speach, especially in the UK, it retains its older meaning.
So, an "ear of corn" would be a head of wheat or barley on a very short stem & unthreshed. Sheaves would refer to bundles of long straw with the unthreshed heads or ears still attached. Threshed grain would be sold by weight or volume similar to today.
In all of Scandinavia (as well as to some extent in German speaking countries) - the common word for all grain is "Korn"...i.e. "Corn".
The only word ever used for "Maize" is..."Mais".
@@jarls5890 south America too - mais.
This is very interesting seeing so many different classes of people writing in Ancient Rome.
Many countries after were limited in those who could read and write.
Wow! Thank you so much for uploading/producing.
Thanks for the comment!
they seem to be polite,respectful, and concerned for others
I wonder, since these were found in a bog, if the correspondence actually reached the recipients....
I like to think so. They were chucked away in the same fashion that their rubbish was chucked away, in a bog with the animal bones and broken pottery
Answer: No.
Great video! Watching this to learn English and Roman history.
It reminds me of Aurelius Polion's letter that he wrote home to Egypt, while in Pannonia.
The letter was found in Egypt, so it reached his family, but we don't know if he managed to return home.
Here in Italy he moved everyone, I will send this video to the Italian Scripta Manent channel, thanks for talking about it. ^_^
Googling....
Really enjoyed your excellent presentaion.
Thank you
I'm surprised how unreadable are those letters written in whatever cursive that was used by them, like in, they have little or no apparent resemblance to the capital letters of their monuments.
Yes it is shocking at first. It's the same if you compare the this text composed for the Internet... very legible compared to most people's scruffy hand writing. Luckily some people are smart cookies and have deciphered these tablets
It's called Old Roman Cursive, crazy to think that most documents at the time were written in this script but so few examples of it remain
But not really any different to hand-writing. Until printed text became common-place handwriting was pretty crazy up until very recently. Still is. People used to be much more used to seeing it. We have iteasy these days
@loxodoncyclotis1823 But we Westerners are also stymied by Arabic writing. And there are so many different middle and far Eastern forms of script! Amazing world we enjoy.
I listen to a podcast called "stuff you should know"(very good), where they talk alot of various subjects, but one really stuck out in my head, about Language being a "living" thing!
Always changing...(like ppl)
BUT...
Still,,, we communicate 😊
Great,,to see those original,footages from 2000 years ago. Stunning 😄
BTW. My dad served in the US Navy during WW II. Letters to and from service members overseas were microfilmed and sent as what was called V mail. These Roman soldier's letters strike me as a similar format.
Yes absolutely
Neat hearing the things they discussed in letters. Also, it gives insight into how common literacy was among Romans.
Words are a index character they indicated the intelligence of the Person who wrote them. 2000 years old and they sound highly intelligent conversations .
Absolutely right
Are the words in the bible any less potents now than when they were first spoken, 2000 year ago?
"I wish you may enjoy the best of fortune" may be my new sign-out message.
Sounds like my main man from the fall of civilizations podcast! Love your work
Damn he's my voice twin
This is just crazy. 2000 years in the past written like it was done yesterday.
Dude these are cool as hell. Why don’t you have more subs? I don’t get it. Subbed 👍🏼
Thanks for the kind words!
Thank you so much this is the kind of thing I like to learn about.
Great, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I've got another video about Roman curse tablets you may also enjoy
crazy that we have this
Yep. It's such a shame to think about howuch organic material has been lost though
I love these, it shows that human beings are very similar no matter when and where they lived.
The Vindolanda tablets: Britain's greatest national treasure.
100%
Well, there is Stonehenge.
I loved this! Thank you so much. I am an unabashed history nerd and love things like this. I have always maintained that people who say they don't like history have never been taught that it's about REAL PEOPLE. (P.S., I just subscribed.)
Thanks for the sub! I also love history from real people. Archaeology is great for that
This is of special interest to me! Thank you!
Thanks for the comment
" Even though I cannot see you I think of you, even though I cannot talk to you I hear you. I will always love you and never let the distance of time break my honour of calling you my brother "
‘The roads are bad’, yep some things never change 😂
Great video!! Really interesting 👌
Thanks! Imagine if that Roman soldier saw the state of roads in Britain today 😳
Octavius is still waiting for the money Candidus was supposed to send him....
Some of these dudes sounded like they were on their side quest
Haha! Just Romans living their lives
Hahaha agree
the concept of the written word is one of the most over looked inventions i hold dear, how it can take a thought, an idea, an emotion, and place it on paper, then transport that thought, emotion, thousands of years in to the future ...still amazes me
Roman soldiers could read and write to each other and even to slaves. This is the first time I've heard of people in this level of society being literate. It's interesting, surprising.
Roman soldiers had to be able to read, write and count to qualify as centurions. Regardless of how short the army may have been at times of qualified NCOs, centurions and a number of other senior ranks such as tesserarri and optiones had to have the same basic skills of literacy and numeracy as a condition of rank. The Roman army was run by its NCOs who were all long-service professional serving under the eagles for up to 25 years. Hands down, the Roman army was the most experienced military the world had ever seen. Nothing else came remotely close to it, before or after. It's like would never be seen again until the 19th century in terms of professional experience of its rank and file.
Roman empire had one of the highest literacy rates in pre modern times. This was not limited to the military. But it was more widespread in the cities. Proficiency though varied a lot, some might have taken their time to write and read those letters.
Outstanding!!!!!! I was just teleported back in time 2000 years. And to think I hated history when I was young - now I can’t get enough. These are marvelous.
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
As I am studying Latin I'd like to read the original scripts. Where could I find them?
Go to the website in the video description. All are available there. Good luck with the Latin!
The issue with that is, it is completely different than classical Latin. There are so many words that no one even knew before the tablets were found and they had to find out what could be meant. Also they are very fragmented, so most of them have huge gaps and some only a few words.
There's some good books on the uncovered graffiti at Pompeii (70 CE)........there was a pending local election and a lot of comments. Also a lot of the shop signage has survived.......interesting view into ordinary lives.......It appears that a lot of people could read and write.
In 2000 years time a future person will discover an email or text from a human today and wonder about it.
Thats a high quality and varied diet enjoyed by the roman soldiers. Most people of that time were stuck eating grains and perhaps some figs.
But then again, they were serving the greatest empire that had ever been seen at that time.
Absolutely. Roman soldiers certainly ate better than the provincials they liked to exploit
@@TopRomanFacts By the time of the empire, there was no exploiting anymore. That was a problem of the republican era.
@ldubt4494 I'm afraid not. Plenty of Imperial examples of exploiting the locals
@@TopRomanFacts in the imperial times, sense of romanness extended to all conquered, which culminated in the Edition of caracalla which gave all free inhabitants of the empire citizenship, no matter if they were egyptian, italian, or brythonic.
Its also the reason why revolts mostly stopped happening. (Except the jews)
@@TopRomanFacts Whats a little exploting when you are spreading civilization?
I'm late to this video and gave subscibed simpky because this was as well made as it was facinating. Great job👍
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I would love to hear ALL the letters.
Me too 🙂
Bad roads then, bad roads now, some things never change. Shame it takes more than 2000 years to get good roads. Great video.
Is great to hear what thousands years old writtens tells.Is like to enter to an open time door.
Well put 👏
Magnifique. C'est un véritable trésor. Peut être l'un des plus précieux au monde
So, they were just as boring 2000 years ago as we are today. Nothing is new, under the sun.
Hulk Hogan is a Roman time traveller, brother, nothing and no one can change my mind
These letters seem to have been written in some sort of cursive script, extremely difficult to decipher, although some of the letters resemble our modern alphabet. I recognized the letter "f" - so, a kind of stenographic script seems to have been in use as early as 200-300 AD/CE ...
The people who decipher these scripts are truly geniuses. Reading Latin inscriptions is a walk in the park in comparison
good reply but please lose the "CE".....AD will suffice, glad you included it. CE and BCE are meaningless. Like Xmas.
Ilived in the States for a long time. There, you can chose between "Christian Era" and "Anno Domini" in order not to chafe anyone religious belief. Cu, bud
@@philipchretienkarlsson8157 except it's not "Christian" era, it's "Common" era.
Quite true. I wonder when the letters "XOXO" at the end of a letter became popular. I was thinking, perhaps during WW I or WW II, when the soldiers or GI's sometimes only had very small cards to send to their family ...
Imagine travelling on them bumpy roads 2000 years ago, if they were worried about injuring the animals then they must mave been one hell of a bumpy ride, its incredible listening to and know that people back then were just like us today, amazing
Great to see a video about this topic. As I have written my Bachelor Thesis on this topic, I want to add a few things:
1. Although the Garrison of Vindolanda was part of the roman army, they were not of roman decent. In that timeframe the troops stationes there were auxilliari cohorts of the Batavians and Tungrians, which came from todays Netherlands. Even when the tablets were written in Latin, it was not their first language.
2. 0:33 Cerialis was not a soldier, but the Prefect of the Garrison
3. The guy that got beaten up was not a soldier, he was a merchant from overseas. It is not clear from where he came, but he was no roman citizen nor was he a Brit how he stated in his letter. He complained that he got beaten even though he was not a Brit, which implies that the Britons treated worse than other foreigners. But what is most fascinating about this letter is, that it was addressed directly to the Emporer Hadrian who resided in Vindolanda for a while, while the Hadrians wall was built. But most likely the letter never reached Hadrian, as it was found in the centurions block. It is possible that they gave him another beating for that letter.
4. The merchant that bought 5000 moddi of ears of corn and needs money desperately could very well be the same guy that got beaten up (I forgot if it was because of the similar handwriting or because it was on the other side of the same tablet). Judging on the risky deals this guy made, it seems not impossible that a guy like that might get himself in trouble.
Very interesting listening to these. The style of writing, the phrases used and such sound so much like the the epistles (letters) of the New Testament that were also written in this time period.
They do indeed
I first learned about these letters from an article in ARCHAEOLOGY.
Great magazine
Yes, me too, what a great magazine
I find it most curious that the letters are all so very formal and plainly matter of fact. No embellishments, and the only warmth being at the end wishing the receiver good fortunes. I wonder if this was uniform way of writing in the era, or if it was simply these were soldiers letters?
That's true, but I suspect a lot of it is due to how formal Latin sounds when it's translated into English
From googling it there Roman postal system was reserved mainly to military and for tax affairs. So I suspect they weren't engaging in chit chat, serious matters only? Not like today, we have all sorts of quick and easy communication means.
In human way they are still with us.
Vindolanda is a beautiful place name.
Do you have more letters? Would love to hear more Very interesting
There are plenty more. Make sure to subscribe because plenty more is on the way
This is the coolest ever, im a Marine Combat Vet. N ehen we were in bootcamp all we could do is write letters back home. Oh how i would write n write to everyone i could trying to grasp kust a bit of the world i left behind 😢😂..
were these letters written by the same "scribe" ? (the handwriting looks similar)
Why are they grouped together? did they still have to be sent? (and were not shipped for an external event?!)
Some tablets were written by a scribe but most were individually written, probably by the senders. They were found in similar contexts but probably were dumped with the rubbish. They therefore were already sent and read, or a discarded draft
@@TopRomanFacts your so full of it !....i can smell you from here !! ewwww
There's a guy who asks his friend for money for the car. Nothing has changed.
Great. Thanks.
You're welcome!
I hope Luke Ranieri reads these in Latin for us some day
Excellent, would love to see more of this. I did like the different take on 'The Hides of March' though. 4:46 and before anyone replies, it was a joke OK, Beware the Ides lol.
Haha, I'll make a part 2 soon
Nice one!
Good one !!! 😄
For those who don't know: Wikipedia - 'The Ides of March ... is the 74th day in the Roman calendar, corresponding to 15 March.' R (Australia) Fun fact: I used to live on a farm just 20 minutes on foot from Vindolanda and got to see some of the tablets when they were first discovered ...
That last letter must have taken an entire tree to write 😂
any letters from crispus baconus? we were old pals.
Tasty
"I'm surprised I haven't heard back from you in a long time "
Well, It seems the struggles of the past and present are very much similar!!
Roman 2k ago: I've got 99 problems and most of that is because I'm broke. Hurry up and wire me the rest. Cash only you stingy bastard!
Get that man a bag of denarii
Hmm would be now nice to know how the post service worked. I mean their relatives or friends lived in different corners of the empire. How do they managed to get the letters?
Good question. Never thought of it just took it for granted. Quick Google there seems that the postal system was reserved for military and tax.
So the Romans also complained about the state of the roads. Some things never change.
Haha bloody potholes
i've heard about these letters, voices just like ours, from so long ago,
so it's really great to actually hear some..
thankyou for sharing this...
is there more? 🙂
Thanks for your kind comment!
could most romans read and write or did they use scribes? do you know how those letters were mailed and how they got to their addressee?
It's estimated that up to 25% of the army were literate, with virtually all centurions and other higher ups being literate to complete accurate records. Some of these tablets were written by the soldiers themselves, whereas others they simply would have asked their literate friend to write it for them. The military had its own postal service. You just wrote the name of the soldier you wanted to send a letter to, where he was based, and pay a fee. It would, most often than not, show up up to a few months later. But communications between closer more central provinces was quicker
@@TopRomanFacts amazing, writing letters is one thing but having a system empire wide to distribute them is another, just saw it on britannica, the cursus publicus. however, like other empires it was most for govt' related business so i guess for military, it was also gov't in a way. There is suggestion for personal mail it was carried by friends or slaves ... 'if you are going to X, could you take these to Y?'
The coolest thing about these is it's like phone text messages were found 2000 years later :) Not the voices of kings, but those of ordinary randos.
And to think China has been using paper since 100 AD…and the Europeans only came upon it a thousand year later.
Yeah and the Romans used almost everything to write upon: bones, pottery, and scraps of wood
Wood would make it from one station to another better than paper. Paper flies away much easier than wood. AND you can wrap it up and put in a package better.
Caesar used paper and it was cut and sewn into 'Codex' - early books. so they had paper over 30 years before the Republic 'fell'' .
But it was way too expensive for 'common use' like letters. Wood would aso travel well.
@@patrickkelly6691 Caesar used papyrus not paper.
@@HollyMoore-wo2mh So why was it replaced by paper ???
Thanks for this. It reminds us that even thousands of years ago, these people were no different from us.
Thanks for the comment!
Very interestimg. They had the same oroblems we do today. Paying bills and makimg a livimg.. ❤
And chatting to friends and family!
we are nothing more than a speck of dust that hovres for a millisecond.
This makes me think how we as humans who do not have a choice as when to be, we all have just a small slot in time to exist. Some shorter than others will and did. Make well that moment in time.
Well said!
Minute 0:12 You said they were the "oldest hand written texts ever found" are you joking ? Please make clear !
I'm not joking. As I say in the video, when they were discovered, they were the the oldest handwritten texts ever found in Britain, and thr oldest found in Latin. Since then tablets discovered in London have predated them. Whilst other texts survive that are older, they are all inscribed on stone, and are therefore not handwritten
@@TopRomanFacts So, it "when they were discovered" they were the oldest ? what semantics !
@chrislambert9435 it's not just semantics. We didn't know the tablets in London existed until they were discovered. We only know artefacts that have been discovered. Therefore the most accurate thing to say is that they were the oldest when they were discovered
Do texts on clay tables do not count as "hand written"?
@thiloreichelt4199 technically they aren't written upon they are pressed with a wooden tool. Cuneiform (which literally means 'wedge shaped') texts rely on pressing little wedges into the clay rather than writing freehand