Part 4 : Small Fragments with a big Story to tell

Most of the known diploma are found as small fragments only. Below various examples, some containing important information, some merely standard text elements.

Tabula I fragment of a Praetorian Fleet Diploma

Outer side (left foto)
2 lines not quite legible on this scan, should show the two consules to date the fragment
1 line his rank: EX GREGALE (common soldier)
1 line for veteran, only the final part of his name "TACITO" is preserved, his home town being "AVG TR EX THRACIA"
3 lines with children, 1 daughter (FIL EIUS), two sons (F EIUS)
3 lines standard text on location of original plates (in Rome): descriptum et recognitum ex tabula aerea quae fixa est / Romae in muro post templum divi Aug(usti) ad Minervam

The inner side (right foto) shows mainly the typical legal standard text for citizenship for a diploma of the praetorian fleets
"ex mulieribus quas secum concessa consuetudine vixisse probaver(int) civitatem Romanam  dederunt et conubium cum  iisdem quas tunc secum habuissent cum est civitas iis data aut siqui tunc non habuissent cum iis quas postea uxores duxissent dumtaxat singuli singulas ...

 

Two Diploma Fragments, both from the outer side:
the upper one of a Tabula II, with fragment of a witnesses name
the lower one an auxiliary diploma from Moesia Inferior showing the name of two units, the cohors Numidarum originating from Africa, and the cohors Mattiacorum, originating from the region between Frankfurt and Wiesbaden, Germany. (Private Collection)

 

Diploma Fragment of an auxiliary diploma, needs a little more work to say where it is from

 

Diploma Fragment of Tabula I, Antoninus Pius, unknown Province

 

Diploma Fragment of Tabula I, Antoninus Pius, naming a provincial fleet, maybe Moesia Inferior ?

                                                                                      The above piece is quite rotten, but we will find out its secret eventually ...
 

More, More, More, More......

Small fragment from Moesia inferior under the governor Bruttius Praesens

tiny fragment

another one

4 very small fragments with little information