Ancient Egyptian Soldier's Letter Home Deciphered

[Locutus]

A newly deciphered letter home dating back around 1,800 years reveals the pleas of a young Egyptian soldier named Aurelius Polion who was serving, probably as a volunteer, in a Roman legion in Europe.

In the letter, written mainly in Greek, Polion tells his family that he is desperate to hear from them and that he is going to request leave to make the long journey home to see them.





Addressed to his mother (a bread seller), sister and brother, part of it reads: "I pray that you are in good health night and day, and I always make obeisance before all the gods on your behalf. I do not cease writing to you, but you do not have me in mind," it reads.

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Ancient Egyptian Soldier's Letter Home Deciphered - NBC News

 

[BaalsTears]

Glimpses of antiquity such as that provided in this correspondence provide us with the insight to be able to stroll through time by giving context to identity, time and space. The more we understand the more we can taste and feel the past. That's something wonderful.

 

[damngrumpy]

It also clearly demonstrates how little life has changed. Soldiers on the front lines writing home
and in many cases there is no reciprocal response for some reason Most interesting indeed.

 

[Blackleaf]

Things life this which reveal a snippet of everyday life in an era of long ago - rather than some famous historical event of the time - always fascinate me.

But this letter is not exactly from the era of the Ancient Egyptian civilisation. It dates from just 200AD or so, when Rome was top dog.

 

[lone wolf]

Even so.... It gives a glimpse of true life. Historical events are too often glorified.

 

[Blackleaf]

This letter is similar to the Vindolanda Tablets, which are slightly earlier (1st Century - 2nd Century). They are Britain's oldest surviving written documents and were written by Roman troops stationed on the northernmost border of the Roman Empire - just south of what is today the border between England and Scotland.

Hadrian's Wall was constructed in 122, but most of the tablets date from before then - the 80s or the 90s - but there are some which were written by troops stationed on the wall itself.

The tablets were found at the Vindolanda Roman fort, nearby the modern village of Bardon Mill in Northumberland.

The documents record official military matters as well as personal messages to and from members of the garrison of Vindolanda, their families, and their slaves.

Some of these are letters you would expect soldiers to send - such as one which is demanding more beer be sent (which is what you need when you are stationed far from home in a strange, cold, rainy, misty land occupied by angry blue-painted barbarians).

Vindolanda tablets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The Britons are unprotected by armour. There are very many cavalry. The cavalry do not use swords, nor do the wretched Britons [Brittunculi] mount in order to throw javelins." (Tab. Vindol. II.164)

"18 May, net number of the First Cohort of Tungrians, of which the commander if Iulius Verecundus the prefect, 752, including 6b centurions."

"Masculus to Cerialis his king, greetings. Please, my lord, give instructions on what you want us to do tomorrow. Are we all to return with the standard, or just half of us?...(missing lines)...most fortunate and be well-disposed towards me. My fellow soldiers have no beer. Please order some to be sent."

"Account of wheat measured out from that which I myself put into the barrel: To myself, for bread... To Macrinus, modii 7 To Felicius Victor on the order of Spectatus, provided as a loan, modii 26 In three sacks, to father, modii 19 To Macrinus, modii 13 To the oxherds at the wood, modii 8 Likewise, to Amabilis at the shrine, modii 3 To Crescens, on the order of Firmus, modii 3 For twisted loaves, to you, modii 2 To Crescens, modii 9 To the legionary soldiers, on the order of Firmus, modii 11[+] To you, in a sack from Briga... To Lucco, in charge of the pigs... To Primus, slave of Lucius... To Lucco for his own use... In the century of Voturius... To father, in charge of the oxen... Likewise to myself, for bread, modii ? Total of wheat, modii 320½."

"Octavius to his brother Candidus, greetings. The hundred pounds of sinew from Marinus, I will settle up. From the time when you wrote about this matter, he has not even mentioned it to me. I have several times written to you that I have bought about 5,000 modii of ears of grain, on account of which I need cash. Unless you send me some cash, at least 500 denarii, the result will be that I shall lose what I have laid out as a deposit, about 300 denarii, and I shall be embarrassed. So, I ask you, send me some cash as soon as possible. The hides which you write are at Cataractonium, write that they be given to me and the wagon about which you write. And write to me what is with that wagon. I would have already have been to collect them except that I did not care to injure the animals while the roads are bad. See with Tertius about the 8½ denarii which he received from Fatalis. He has not credited them to my account. Know that I have completed the 170 hides and I have 119(?) modii of threshed bracis. Make sure that you send me some cash so that I may have ears of grain on the threshing room floor. Moreover, I have already finished threshing all that I had. A messmate of our friend Frontius has been here. He was wanting me to allocate(?) him some hides, and that being so, was ready to give cash. I told him I would give him the hides by the Kalends of March. He decided that he would come on the Ides of January. He did not turn up, nor did he take the trouble to obtain them since he had hides. If he had given the cash, I would have given him them. I hear that Frontinius Julius has for sale at a high price the leather ware(?) which he bought here for five denarii apiece. Greet Spectatus and ...and Firmus. I have received letters from Gleuco. Farewell."

 

[Sal]

It amazes me that during this era likely most could write demonstrating the level of learning at that time and the value they placed on it.

 

[Blackleaf]

It amazes me that during this era likely most could write demonstrating the level of learning at that time and the value they placed on it.

Very few people could write back then.

 

[Goober]

Very few people could write back then.

Becoming a Soldier
When war was declared and an army would be raised, a red flag was hoisted over the capitol of Rome. The news would be carried out to all the territory under Roman rule. The hoisting of the red flag meant that all men subject to military service had thirty days to report for duty.
Not all men were obliged to serve. Only the tax paying landowners were subject to military service, for it was deemed only they had reason to fight. Of them it was those aged between 17 and 46 who would have to serve. Those veterans of the infantry who had already been on sixteen previous campaigns, or the cavalrymen who had served on ten campaigns, would be excused.

This changed when Gaius Marius raised an army consisting of the common man.
Marius
In 115 BC he became praetor and married Julia, of the powerful patrician family of the Julii. This marriage should in effect make him the uncle of Julius Caesar.
Next he served in Africa in the wars against Jughurta. The commander of the Roman forces, Metellus, was not very successful against teh foe, and so in 108 BC Marius returned to Rome and stood for the office of consul. He won the election, but now used his standing to persuade the comitia tributa so elect him the new commander of the forces in Africa.
This was unlawful and showed how little the grizzled military man, which Marius was, thought of following proper procedures. For only the senate had authority to appoint military commanders.
To raise new forces with which to set over to Africa, Marius now broke yet another tradition. Rather than to enlist from the landowning classes, Marius now offered the soldier's job to Rome's poor, promising them adventure, glory and booty. But most of all he offered them jobs, a means of making a living. Perhaps unwittingly Marius set in motion a revolution in Roman army affairs, and his action is a landmark in Roman history.
This new, professional army, trained by new methods introduced by Marius, set over to Africa and made easy work of bringing the war to an end. Although the eventual negotiations had most of the glory slip from Marius' grasp, as it was a young quaestor, Cornelius Sulla, who should achieve victory and peace in these talks, not Marius.
At about this point in time (105 BC) a disaster befell the Romans on their northern borders. Under the command of Caepio and Manlius, they suffered a crushing defeat against the barbarians at Arausio.

 

[Blackleaf]

Very few people could read and write back then. It was only until quite recently that most people in certain countries could read. Even in 1970 the global illiteracy rate was double what it is now but, even now, there are countries in which most people cannot read and write.

The fact is that, until recent times, the only children who received professional education and so were taught to read and write in great numbers were wealthy boys. Girls, and poor boys, were not allowed to go to school and so many girls and poor boys could not write. That's why, for centuries, male literacy outstripped that of women around the world.

 

[BaalsTears]

Things life this which reveal a snippet of everyday life in an era of long ago - rather than some famous historical event of the time - always fascinate me.

But this letter is not exactly from the era of the Ancient Egyptian civilisation. It dates from just 200AD or so, when Rome was top dog.

The writer, Aurelius Polion, was Roman. His name tells us he was not descended from the ancient Egyptians or Greek settlers. When Roman soldiers retired they were often given land in conquered or annexed territories. His father may have been a Roman legionnaire married to an Egyptian local. While the letter was not from the era of ancient Egypt, it was from Classical Antiquity.

 

[Blackleaf]

The writer, Aurelius Polion, was Roman. His name tells us he was not descended from the ancient Egyptians or Greek settlers. When Roman soldiers retired they were often given land in conquered or annexed territories. His father may have been a Roman legionnaire married to an Egyptian local. While the letter was not from the era of ancient Egypt, it was from Classical Antiquity.

Aurelius Polion was Egyptian. It even says that in the article. Most Roman soldiers weren't Romans but were people from the lands Rome had conquered. The fact he had a Latin name only means that his name was Latinised.

 

[L Gilbert]

A newly deciphered letter home dating back around 1,800 years reveals the pleas of a young Egyptian soldier named Aurelius Polion who was serving, probably as a volunteer, in a Roman legion in Europe.Ancient Egyptian Soldier's Letter Home Deciphered - NBC News

Cool.

Stuff like this is the usual find of anthropologists. It doesn't reach the public often enough.

 

[Goober]

Aurelius Polion was Egyptian. It even says that in the article. Most Roman soldiers weren't Romans but were people from the lands Rome had conquered. The fact he had a Latin name only means that his name was Latinised.

Much like today in some countries it was also a path to Roman Citizenship.

Roman citizenship - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Roman legion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[L Gilbert]

Wifey tells me that the State subsidised education back in those days. Obviously, it wouldn't have been to the standards of today, but literacy in ancient Rome was better than in medieval Britain and indeed, the Dark Ages.

 

[BaalsTears]

Aurelius Polion was Egyptian. It even says that in the article. Most Roman soldiers weren't Romans but were people from the lands Rome had conquered. The fact he had a Latin name only means that his name was Latinised.

Roman legionaires were required to be Roman citizens during the era in question. Non-citizens were permitted to be auxiliaries. After completion of service in the auxiliaries one could attain citizenship and transfer to a legion. Doesn't the article state that Aurelius Polion served in a Roman legion.

 

[Blackleaf]

Wifey tells me that the State subsidised education back in those days. Obviously, it wouldn't have been to the standards of today.

This guy wasn't from Rome. He was from Egypt.

literacy in ancient Rome was better than in medieval Britain and indeed, the Dark Ages

That's debateable. Only the wealthy classes could read in ancient Rome.

 

[Sal]

Very few people could write back then.

5 to 30 % according to a quick google...it's been years since my courses in Roman lifestyle, government etc but they were a very developed culture

 

[Goober]

This guy wasn't from Rome. He was from Egypt.





That's debateable. Only the wealthy classes could read in ancient Rome.

Why was Greek used?

 

[L Gilbert]

This guy wasn't from Rome. He was from Egypt.

Doesn't matter. Soldiers were educated.

That's debateable.

No, it's not.

Only the wealthy classes could read in ancient Rome.

So the dude this thread's about was one of the wealthy classes? Sorry, you're wrong again.