06-10-2005, 02:41 PM
Recently I found a very interesting quote from a letter of a
roman soldier-engineer writing to his family. He retells how he had
to help civilians to construct an aqueduct. He comments it with
words:
"If you want to have the work done well, commission it o the
army!"
Sweet quote isn't it? Further he depicts how the civilians' problems rose when they had to lead a tunnel through a hill (mountain). Digging was started from both sides. "I measured both snouts " wrote the soldier "and
when added, the length was greater than width of whole hill!"
Unfortunately the quote I found, was in Polish and was translated at least four times and printed in a popular-science book for young readers "The History of the Roman Army". There was no footnote describing details like, where was it published or where was this letter found. An author of the book, Peter Connoly, is known to be a reliable scholar so I don't expect him to have fabricated it. I have searched the Fink's "Roman Military records on papyrus" and an internet release of the Vindolanda tablets. I have asked all Warsaw scholars where to find out where this quote comes
from or who could know anything about it. My professor has humorously answered "Actually I should know... But unfortunately I don't. My attempt to establish contact with Peter Connoly failed.
I would like to use that first part of the quote in the beginning of my thesis but I cannot do this without a reference to the first publication of the letter. Thank you in advance.
Przemyslaw Ciborowski
roman soldier-engineer writing to his family. He retells how he had
to help civilians to construct an aqueduct. He comments it with
words:
"If you want to have the work done well, commission it o the
army!"
Sweet quote isn't it? Further he depicts how the civilians' problems rose when they had to lead a tunnel through a hill (mountain). Digging was started from both sides. "I measured both snouts " wrote the soldier "and
when added, the length was greater than width of whole hill!"
Unfortunately the quote I found, was in Polish and was translated at least four times and printed in a popular-science book for young readers "The History of the Roman Army". There was no footnote describing details like, where was it published or where was this letter found. An author of the book, Peter Connoly, is known to be a reliable scholar so I don't expect him to have fabricated it. I have searched the Fink's "Roman Military records on papyrus" and an internet release of the Vindolanda tablets. I have asked all Warsaw scholars where to find out where this quote comes
from or who could know anything about it. My professor has humorously answered "Actually I should know... But unfortunately I don't. My attempt to establish contact with Peter Connoly failed.
I would like to use that first part of the quote in the beginning of my thesis but I cannot do this without a reference to the first publication of the letter. Thank you in advance.
Przemyslaw Ciborowski
