The Origin of the Auxiliary Diplomas

[Arturius Britannicus]

I'm wondering if anybody knows when the practice of awarding diplomas for auxiliary service started. The earliest diplomas I know of date from 52AD. I gather Julius Caesar used auxiliaries, and wonder if any of them were granted Roman citizenship at the end of their tours. If so, the diplomas may originate quite a while before 52AD. It may well be that we just have not found any older ones yet.

Does anybody know of any Roman writings that mention the start of this practice of granting Roman citizenship via the diplomas??

[Praefectusclassis]

The 'spread' of diplomas indicates a development from the mid 1st C AD. There are litterally hundreds of diploma's from the period 52-250's AD. Most of them from the second century AD. The number of early diploma's is much lower and indicates a development from special grants toward a general handing out of these certificates until Caracalla's general grant of citizenship made them obsolete. The later diploma's are for praetorians and 'special cases'

So why Claudius?
- Claudius was known as an emperor known for his liberal granting of citizenship
- Augustus was much more conservative in this respect, granting immunitas (from taxes) at best (Suetonius, Augustus, 40; CIL V 4910)
- Some very early imperial inscriptions indicate that veterans of auxiliary units are still peregrini (free men without citizenship)
- There was clearly no set time of service and standard discharge at the end of Augustus' reign. This was one of the main reasons for the mutiny on Tiberius' accession (Tacitus, Annals, I.17). Tiberius set discharge for legionaries at 20 years (Tacitus, Annals, I.78), but was not too precise about it, to say the least (Suetonius, Tiberius, 48.2).
- Several inscriptions (dating before Claudius) indicate legionaries serving thirty of more years of service. This does continue later, but is than usually only in the case of especially valuable service by the soldier. There are many more cases of auxiliary soldiers serving longer than 30 years. Most strikingly is the number of Tiberii Iulii dying after long years of service, without discharge. Their name indicates citizenship granted by the emperor, but apparently without discharge!
- The sources indicate that Claudius did change some important regulations with which diplomas were concerned too:
Suetonius, Claudius 22: "In matters of religious ritual, civil and military customs, and the social status of all classes at home and abroad, Claudius not only revived obsolescent traditions, but invented new ones."
Cassius Dio 60.24: "The men serving in the army, since they could not legally have wives, were granted the privileges of married men."

All together, it seems not likely that diplomas much earlier than 52 AD will be found.

See: E.Birley, 'Before Diplomas, and the Claudian Reform', in Eck & Wolff, Heer und Integrationspolitik (Cologne/Vienna 1986)

[Alexandr K]

Hi Jasper,
are there any opinions why did praetorian unlike legionaries become diplomas?
Greetings
Alexandr

[Vlad the Impala]

could it be linked to the idea that auxilia were not necessarily automatically issued with diplomas, but requested them.

therefore may have only asked for them when it was necessary to prove their entitlements.

were praetorians also entitled to benefits on completion of their service, for which evidence (ie diploma) would be useful/necessary?

[Praefectusclassis]

are there any opinions why did praetorian unlike legionaries become diplomas?

Yes there are :wink: I'll have a look when I'm back home

[Praefectusclassis]

Discharge certificates of legionaries do exist, albeit that they are very rare. RMD IV has a few (5) non-diploma discharge certificates in the appendix, of which one was given to a legionary. It's written on a bronze tablet
The text, RMD IV Appendix I.3, circa 230 AD, reads:

Aufidius Coresnius Marcellus, leg(atus) Aug(usti) pr(o) Pr(aetore), dedi honestam missionem Septimio Bubati, mili(ti) leg(ionis) I M(inerviae) Severiane Alexsandrianae, candidato...

Which means: Aufidius Coresnius Marcellus, propraetorian imperial legate (= governor [of Germania Inferior in this case]), grant honorable discharge to Septimius Bubas, soldier of the Legio I Minerva of Severus Alexander, (he was a) candidate (possibly for promotion).

[Carlton Bach]

I'm not so sure we won't find earlier diplomas, though I doubt we will find any that correspond to the established formula (imagine just how many of those there must have been for something as valuable and reusable as bronze to survive in such numbers). My suspicion is that the auxiliary diplomas are originally copies of the inscription tables kept in Rome recording grants of Roman citizenship. Being particularly prestigious, they were copied onto bronze (as the originals were). It is only later, with the great expansion of citizenship grants under Claudius and his successors, that the formular for a 'military diploma' develops and they become a class of their own. In Evidence, I offer the citizenship grant to the turma Salluitana by Cn Pompeius Strabo (ILS 8888). This does not follow the form of later military diplomas, being issued to a group rather than individuals, and listing witnesses. At this time IIRC this for of grant was still relatively new and very unusual.

The full text and a translation can be found in this article:

http://www.theaterofpompey.com/pdcs_articles/rg_sp.pdf

which otherwise does not speak much of auxiliary diplomas. Not many such bronze tablets were found at Rome, but that is nort too suprising when you consider that Rome is probably the most picked-over ancient ruin in existence and an old bronze tablet with writing on it - unless associated with a Christian martyr - would have gone for scrap metal value before 1700.

[Praefectusclassis]

Yes, Carlton, you are probably right. Only this morning I found a grant (CIL XVI Appendix 10) describing similar rights (citizenship, voting rights, etc) to a veteran of Octavian. Although the formula is indeed completely different, the idea is the same. Most of the arguments in my earlier post are still valid though; diploma's and granting of rights of citizenship became systematic under Claudius.

[Kate Gilliver]

In Evidence, I offer the citizenship grant to the turma Salluitana by Cn Pompeius Strabo (ILS 8888). This does not follow the form of later military diplomas, being issued to a group rather than individuals, and listing witnesses. At this time IIRC this for of grant was still relatively new and very unusual.

I love the irony of that 'diploma' being granted to Spanish cavalry fighting for the Romans in a war against the socii, some of whom were probably fighting for Roman citizenship...
One of the witnesses, incidentally, is L.Sergius Catilina, more famously known for his spat with Cicero in 63.

Carlton is right that a block grant is new & unusual. Marius gave block grants of citizenship to 2 cohorts of Camertes (c.1000 men) for their bravery in the Cimbric wars (Valerius Maximus 5.2.8). It was controversial and Plutarch describes it as illegal (paranomou - Marius 28), but it's presumably a precedent for Pompeius Strabo's actions at Asculum. I should imagine that until there are permanent units which are discharging veterans individually or in small numbers each year, block grants would have been the only way to honour or reward non-citizens.

[Robert Vermaat]

Seen this one from Croatia?

[Arturius Britannicus]

Valerius---

I've sen this one before. Awesome, but still later than I am looking for.

Arturius Britannicus, aka Arthur Gamon