Is there a list of all known Roman Military Diplomas?

[Spedius]

Jim,
OK. You have done your homework. I am officially impressed. L.A. Pantera is indeed the only known Classis Britannica commander - known from an altar in Lympne... but that's beside the point.
As this slightly geeky thing might indicate, my main interest are Roman Fleets, but all things Roman (preferably military) are good as far as I can see!
As for review, I think the Pferdehirt volumes are too new to have been reviewed, but if so it'll probably be in a German journal. I've got copies of both, but most libraries around you should have them... - where in the UK are you? - Sadly my copies are currently in Munich and I am not, so I can give you little detail.
But if you are stuck with books, have you tried joining the Roman Society? They have most stuff and are not too expensive - plus you can get Britannia and JRS delivered. All major books on epigraphy and diplomata will be in their library in Senate House at UCL (just behind the British Museum)...
There's another quite good one by her on diplomata called
Die Rolle des Militärs für den sozialen Aufstieg in der römischen Kaiserzeit / Barbara Pferdehirt
Mainz, RGZM (2002) ISBN 3-88467-069-7
- more in German (interesting text, actually, but very complicated and slightly convoluted) but has all diplomata listed in full (some are not in RMD)
Loads more out there, so keep looking ;-)
C.

Ave Christoph,

Many thanks for your swift response.

With regards to the Pantera thing, I have this weird memory for names and that one rang "Big Ben" type bells.

I live in Hertfordshire, just outside St Albans, but I don't get out much these days.

I checked out the other Barbara Pferdehirt book and that one will cost me €55, so I could buy that one too. Maybe I can find a review of the book, as it was published in 2002. Do you have any idea as to how many pages it has?

I've been a member of the Roman Society since 2003, and have my copies of JRS and Britannia delivered each year round about late November.

If I ever wanted to research the Roman fleets, you would be the person to seek advice from. Have you read Starr's book or Richard Nelson's?

Thanks for the tips.

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo (aka Jim)

[Spedius]

As this slightly geeky thing might indicate, my main interest are Roman Fleets, but all things Roman (preferably military) are good as far as I can see!
C.

Ave Cristoph,

I recently came upon this website with your friend Barbara Pferdehirt being one of the main people.

http://www1.rgzm.de/navis/Themes/Flotte ... Border.htm

Have you visited this site? It looks to be just the sort of information that would interest you?

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo (aka Jim)

[L. Aufidius Pantera]

Indeedy...might want to indicate here that the Pferdehirt lady is not quite what I would call my friend... she was my boss for a year and a half! :wink:

Anyway, yes, Navis I is a great resource - try also the other databases

http://www2.rgzm.de/Navis2/home/frames.htm - Roman Ship Images

and

http://www2.rgzm.de/Navis3/home/frames.htm (which seems to be down at the moment but is on coins depicting Roman Ships...)

But thanks for thinking of me - I am touched :oops:

C.

[Praefectusclassis]

Pferdehirt lady is not quite what I would call my friend... she was my boss for a year and a half

Which, as everyone knows, excludes friendship in Germany. :wink:

[Spedius]

Ave all,

The title of this topic is "Is there a list of all known Roman Military Diplomas?".

I've been working on an answer to my own question.

Some of the answers can be glimpsed tantalisingly in Andreas Pangerl's website www.romancoins.info/MilitaryDiploma1a.html .

There are two charts which are of interest. The first is "Roman Emperors on Surviving Diplomas". The second relates to the type of diploma ie. Province, classis etc. and will not be analysed in this post.

This a summary of the first chart, the figures in brackets are what I have found, so far:-

01. 3 for Claudius (3)
02. 5 for Nero (5)
03. 5 for Galba (4)
04. 35 for Vespasian (26)
05. 12 for Titus (5)
06. 65 for Domitian (26)
07. 8 for Nerva (3)
08. 113 for Trajan (65)
09. 180 for Hadrian (67)
10. 248 for Antonius Pius (91)
11. 44 for M. Aurelius/L. Verus (33)
12. 1 for M. Aurelius (1)
13. 12 for M. Aurelius/Commodus (9)
14. 12 for Commodus (3)

A total of 743 diplomas, of which I have (341).

Can you begin to imagine what additional information these 400 diplomas could contain. 400 new constitutions, 400 new governors, 400 pairs of consuls and 400 new sets of witnesses. They could begin to fill the many gaps (lacuna) in my records and knowledge.

I've got to find them all, that is my mission. Please help me where and when you can?

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo (aka Jim)

NB. There are many diploma fragments which cannot be accurately dated, they are not included in either list.

[Praefectusclassis]

Just got an email from Paul Holder.
RMD V has just gone to the publisher and will hopefully be published this year. It contains 154 diplomas, published until 2003. Since then another 100-200 have been published or will be this year. The future of RMD VI is still insecure.

[Spedius]

Just got an email from Paul Holder.
RMD V has just gone to the publisher and will hopefully be published this year. It contains 154 diplomas, published until 2003. Since then another 100-200 have been published or will be this year. The future of RMD VI is still insecure.

Ave Jasper,

That's marvellous news about RMD V.

I'm hoping that as I'm a fully paid-up member of the Roman Society I'll be informed when it's available to buy?

Not so good on RMD VI though.

Is Paul Holder a member of this Forum?

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo