Claudius Tarentianus

[Tarbicus]

Claudius Terentianus, a soldier of the 2nd C. AD.

We often talk specifically about individual items of equipment, or organisation, etc. However, we very rarely focus on an individual and try to analyse his experiences from correspondence.

During a lull in the day I went looking through Davies' Service in the Roman Army for something, but came across the above named. I then discovered more references to him on the internet, and most importantly his letters that have been discovered and translated.

There is one publication I know of discussing the same but I do not have access to it. But, I was wondering if instead of focusing on a broad spectrum which, to be honest, varies so much over time, we focus on one man and try to figure out from his letters clues to what life was really like for a soldier of that time. The beauty is that his letters seem to reveal much about daily life, service, recruitment, promotion, and a number of other things that we tend to generalise about, or get lost in other conversations.

As Davies says about him:
"[Terentianus] devoted the whole of his last remaining work to the prima militiae a recruit could expect, and held out the prospects that no civilian would dare to strike him but that he could beat up a civilian with impunity, he could avoid all the delays of the law courts, make a will while his father was still alive, and be a man of great wealth. Initiative and ability were quickly recognised and rewarded: Terentanius got his transfer [from the fleet], became a legionary, and on his discharge was referred to as 'a man of means'."

References on the web are:

WOMEN IN THE ROMAN WORLD; LECTURE 14. WOMEN IN EGYPT; SEMINAR 3 WOMEN IN PAPYRI

Private Letter, Early IInd cent. A.D.

P.Mich. VIII 468. II cent. AD. Karanis, Egypt. Extract.

Claudius Tiberianus

Anyway, I thought it might be a good idea.

[Praefectusclassis]

The reference you're looking for is Alston, Soldier & Society in Roman Egypt, is it, Jim?

[Tarbicus]

Actually no, Jasper. I have that book and will be going through it. The reference I was thinking of discusses the use of vulgar latin in the letters.

In the meantime, I was hoping that the letters may prompt discussion of the life of a real soldier who reveals many details of life then through the correspondence to his father Claudius Tiberius.

The letters can all be read here:
Advanced Papyrilogical Information System, UM

[Tarbicus]

Points of interest:

Whilst in the fleet;
I had bought the last together with a mattress and a pillow, and while I was lying ill on the ship (liburna) they were stolen from me.
Theft within the ranks of the fleet?

Boots with buttons(?) are worthless; I provide myself with footgear twice a month.
How frequently boots could be replaced, not twice a year.

As a legionary;
and from the father of Julius a small basket (sphyridallion) and my small baskets (talaria) and a sword-sheath
This makes me wonder if scabbards were replaced on any kind of regular basis?

He sent me word about a woman; with my consent he was buying(?) one for me. As far back as two years ago I would have taken a woman into my house, but I did not permit myself nor do I permit myself to take anyone without your approval, and you will not hear otherwise from me on this subject.
His house? Also, it is obvious that a soldier could own a slave for his own personal posession, in his house.

For you know that we are working hard now, in view of the fact that we are suppressing(?) the uproar and anarchy of the city.

[Praefectusclassis]

Hey, I'd be interested, since he's a soldier of the Egyptian squadron. Bit of a whiner though. :wink:

[Tarbicus]

What is interesting, as Davies points out, is that even his father could exert enough persuasion on the lad's commander to let him transfer from the fleet to the legions, and he was even given leave in the meantime.

[Praefectusclassis]

Wasn't his father, or an acquaintance, a speculator? They had access to the higher ups, as they often worked for provincial governors.

[Tarbicus]

Yes he was, so connections were used. But money entered into it also.

As a reference for how to describe when someone ignores you:
"He paid no more attention to me than to a sponge stick,"

And we all know what kind of stick that is. :wink:

There seems to be an exact replication of using family terms for acquaintances right through the letters, like those in the Vindolanda letters. Father, mother, brother.

[Praefectusclassis]

LOL

[Caballo]

Tarbicus- thanks, completely new to me- laudes for you!
I particularly liked the letter written just after he had enlisted in the fleet and when he seems to have been ripped off!
"Know, father, that I have received . . . a cloak, a tunic, and the girdled lothes, and from Nepotianus . . . . But you gave him rough ones. Do you come . . . . You know very well how much he has lied to his comrades(?). Know that I am being sent off to Syria and am about to leave with a detachment. [I asked him] to give [them] to me, but [he] denied that he had the rough ones. "
" I went . . . by boat, and with their help I enlisted in the fleet lest I seem to you to wander like a fugitive, lured on by a bitter hope. I ask and beg you, father, for I have no one dear to me except you, after the gods, to send to me by Valerius a battle sword, a . . ., a pickaxe, a grappling iron, two of the best lances obtainable, a cloak of beaver skin(?), and a girdled tunic, together with my trousers, so that I may have them, since I wore out my tunic before I entered the service and my trousers were laid away new. And if you are going to send anything, put an address on everything and describe the distinguishing features to me by letter lest any exchange be made en route. And if you write me a letter, address it: “on the liburnian of Neptune.â€

[Tarbicus]

and a girdled tunic

What's a girdled tunic? Is it one with a waistband?

[Praefectusclassis]

And they all seem to be permanently falling ill, and complaining about it- not much of the Graeco-Roman Stoic there!

As I said, a bit of a whiner. :wink:

[Tarbicus]

According to Alston in Soldier and Society in Roman Egypt, it was the flippin' optio who stole his stuff!!

[Praefectusclassis]

That's what he says in one of his letters. Happened while he was sick.

[Tarbicus]

And they all seem to be permanently falling ill, and complaining about it- not much of the Graeco-Roman Stoic there!

As I said, a bit of a whiner. :wink:

Certainly when he was in the fleet, where we know he was deeply unhappy. It's very interesting to read the man's mood through his letters. Bear in mind though that he nearly died and couldn't even feed himself.