Claudia Severa

Claudia Severa was a literate Roman woman, the wife of Aelius Brocchus, commander of an unidentified fort near Vindolanda fort in northern England.[1] She is known for a birthday invitation she sent around 100 AD to Sulpicia Lepidina, wife of Flavius Cerialis, commander at Vindolanda. This invitation was discovered in the 1970s and is probably the best-known item of the Vindolanda Tablets.[2] The letter was written partly by a scribe and partly in Claudia's own hand. The Vindolanda Tablets also contain a fragment from another letter in Claudia's hand. These two letters are thought to be the oldest extant writing by a Roman woman found in Britain, or perhaps anywhere.[3]

Display of letter

The invitation was acquired in 1986 by the British Museum, where it holds registration number 1986,1001.64.[3] The museum has a selection of the Vindolanda Tablets on display, and loans some to the museum at Vindolanda.

References

  1. Alan Bowman and David Thomas, Vindolanda: the Latin writing tablets, London: Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1983, pp. 256
  2. Mount, Harry (21 July 2008). "Hadrian's soldiers writing home". The Daily Telegraph (www.telegraph.co.uk). Retrieved 23 February 2011. The real prize of the Vindolanda tablets, though, are the earliest surviving letters in a woman's hand written in this country. In one letter, Claudia Severa wrote to her sister, Sulpicia Lepidina, the wife of a Vindolanda bigwig - Flavius Cerialis, prefect of the Ninth Cohort of Batavians: 'Oh how much I want you at my birthday party. You'll make the day so much more fun. I do so hope you can make it. Goodbye, sister, my dearest soul.'
  3. 1 2 "Search object details: Wood writing tablet with a party invitation written in ink, in two hands, from Claudia Severa to Lepidina.". British Museum. 24 January 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2011.

External links


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