FORVM`s Classical Numismatics Discussion Board
Antiquities Discussion Forums => Other Metal Antiquities => Topic started by: Joe Sermarini on April 16, 2022, 07:20:18 pm
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I have received this Roman diploma fragment on consignment, 2.292g, 23.9mm. I have never had one of these before. I am not eve sure if I have an references for it. Anyone have references to recommend, comments, information about these objects or this one in particular.
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Fantastic Joe. I have two of these fragments and Stultus (Istvan) was very helpful in dating and translating. He was very generous sharing his knowledge.
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=167890
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=85615
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Hi,
There's also this online site that offers a wealth of information and email help:
http://www.romancoins.info/MilitaryDiploma.html (http://www.romancoins.info/MilitaryDiploma.html)
Regards,
Mauseus
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I can clearly read
ALAE V
VI HISP[ANIA] or VI HISP[ANORVM]
IN ARA[BICVS]?
Good thing is that it seems to be the left edge of the document, so we have a starting point for the text.
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Thanks Jay and Mauseus. I have not started working on it yet. Anyone else have information to share?
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I am working on this item now. Anyone have additional info to share? Thanks.
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This diploma appears to list service in Legio VI Hispania. Wikipedia notes, "Legio VI Hispana ("Sixth (Hispanian) Legion") may have been a legion of the Imperial Roman army. Only a few records attesting a "VI Hispana" were known in 2015. Seyrig (1923) argued that this unit was created in AD 68 and disappeared before 197. Another theory is that VI Hispana was created after 197 and was destroyed in the turmoil of the Empire's Third Century Crisis. The scarcity and ambiguity of records of "VI Hispana" has led some scholars to doubt that this legion ever existed and that the inscriptions attesting it were erroneous references to the legions VII Gemina or IX Hispana." The legion was not included on list of legions existing in 197.
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Anyone with suggestions for date or province?
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Joe: Have you investigated the reference in Livius.org on Legio VI Victrix, which notes that the legion had earlier been named Legio VI Hispaniensis, at some point in Augustan times, during or after its participation in the Cantabrian War? The article notes that the earliest attestation of the title Victrix is in Neronian times. And the legion was stationed in Hispania throughout the Julio Claudian period.
However, if you read the article on romancoins.info on Roman Military Diplomas, they present some statistical data which shows that the earliest clearly dated identifiable military diplomas are from the Claudian era. So, that would have to place your diploma fragment at the early end of the known diplomas, if you accept that Legio VI Hisp could be the earlier name of Legio VI Victrix.
Maybe too much of a stretch.....
https://www.livius.org/articles/legion/legio-vi-victrix/
http://www.romancoins.info/MilitaryDiploma1a.html
Gary
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Hmm. Thanks Gary. Seyrig's theory that the unit was created in 68 A.D. and the existence of VI Victrix during Nero's reign would date this quite precisely, but I don't have confidence in making that claim.
Anyone else have something they can share?
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Final bump.
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Just curious Joe, what else are you looking for? I think the reading of the diploma is as good as it will get and dating would be 1st-2nd century. Did you reach out to Istvan?
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I am looking mostly for the most specific date I can get. Other than that, I do not know what those three lines have to say. I am just hoping for whatever is possible to learn.
I will ask Istvan to take a look here.
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intus: tabella I
...] DIVI [...
...] TRAI[...
extrinsecus: tabella I
[...C]
ALAE(corvm) VI [...]
VI HISP[anorum ... et sunt]
IN ARA[bia sub ...
Imperator Caesar divi Traiani Parthici f. divi Nervae nepos Traianus Hadrianus Augustus, pontifex maximus, tribunicia potestate ..., consul ..., pater patriae,
equitibus et peditibus qui militaverunt in alis ... et cohortibus ... quae apellantur
... VI Hispanorum...
et sunt in Arabia sub ... quinis et vicenis pluribusqve stipendiis emeritis dimissis honesta missione,
quorum nomina subscripta sunt, civitatem dedit et conubium cum uxoribus quas tunc habuissent, cum est civitas iis data, aut, si qui caelibes essent, cum iis quas postea duxissent dumtaxat singulis singulas.
[date]
[name of the military unit and its commander]
[name of the recipient (and names of his relatives also receiving citizenship)]
Descriptum et recognitum ex tabula aenea quae fixa est Romae in muro divi Augusti ad Minervam.
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Amazing Istvan. I got you started ;D
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Fantastic! Thanks Istvan!
Here is what I have put together, thanks to all the help I have received here.
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=99089q00.jpg&vpar=2019&zpg=114246&fld=
If anyone sees errors or has suggestions to improve this write up, please let me know. Thanks!
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Joe: Thinking about the "Arabia" context of this fragment, I started googling "Roman Army Arabia" and found a page from a Michael Spiedel article which lists the Roman Army units in Arabia.... including a Cohors VI Hispanorum. I would suggest that this auxiliary cohort might be a stronger bet for this diploma fragment's attribution, rather than a new "Legio" VI Hispanorum.
I also found a wiki tabular summary of the deployment of auxiliary alae and cohortes attested in the reign of Hadrian. Table 1(j) lists Cohors VI Hispanorum, among many others. The author of this table references an article by a Paul Holder, titled Auxiliary Deployment in the reign of Hadrian, wherein the Cohors VI Hispanorum is mentioned on page 114.
https://www.bu.edu/ict/anrw/pub/II/8/speidel.html
https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Roman_auxiliary_regiments
https://www.academia.edu/7945776/Auxiliary_deployment_in_the_reign_of_Hadrian_In_J_J_Wilkes_ed_Documenting_the_Roman_army_essays_in_honour_of_Margaret_Roxan_London_2003_101_145
Gary
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Thanks Gary. I was under the mistaken impression that a Cohors VI Hispanorum would be attached to Legio VI Hispanorum. Istvan informed me that other than similar names, they were unrelated.