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These are letters written by Roman soldiers nearly 2,000 years ago. They were written on wooden tablets in ink made with charcoal and tree sap. When they were discovered, they the oldest handwritten texts ever found. All of them come from Vindolanda, a Roman fort right by Hadrian's Wall. They were preserved in anaerobic bog-like conditions, so what you're about to hear are real Roman soldiers from the 1st to 2nd century AD, nearly 2,000 years ago.
The Real Letters from Roman Soldiers | 5:24
TopRomanFacts | 1.68K subscribers | 116,252 views | February 29, 2024

Transcript
0:00 · these are letters written by Roman
0:01 · soldiers nearly 2,000 years ago they
0:04 · were written on wooden tablets in ink
0:06 · made from charcoal and tree sap when
0:08 · they were discovered they were the
0:10 · oldest handwritten texts ever found all
0:13 · of them come from vindel Landa a Roman
0:15 · Fort right by Hadrian's Wall they were
0:17 · preserved in anerobic bog likee
0:19 · conditions so what you're about to hear
0:22 · are real Roman soldiers from the 1st to
0:24 · 2nd Century ad nearly 2,000 years ago
0:28 · this letter was written by the soldiers
0:29 · Niger and brochas to their fellow
0:31 · Soldier and friend Niger and brochas to
0:34 · their serialis greeting we pray brother
0:37 · that what you are about to do will be
0:39 · most successful it will be so indeed
0:42 · since it is both in accord with our
0:43 · wishes to make this prayer on your
0:45 · behalf and you yourself are most worthy
0:48 · you will assuredly meet our governor
0:50 · quite soon we pray our Lord and brother
0:53 · that you are in good health this tablet
0:56 · was composed by the soldier crus to his
0:58 · friend crus to vus his brother an old
1:01 · messmate very many greetings and I ask
1:04 · of you brother valus I am surprised that
1:06 · you have written nothing back to me for
1:08 · such a long time whether you have heard
1:10 · anything from my elders in which unit he
1:13 · is and greet him from me in my words and
1:15 · verillas the veterinary doctor ask forus
1:18 · whether you may send through one of our
1:20 · friends the pair of shears which he
1:21 · promised me in exchange for money and I
1:23 · ask you brother villus to greet from me
1:26 · our sister thua right back to us how
1:28 · vbus is it is my wish that you enjoy the
1:31 · best of Fortune farewell this one is sad
1:35 · don't know the name of this poor soldier
1:37 · who is beaten by his peers he beat me
1:40 · all the more I implore your majesty not
1:42 · to allow me an innocent man to have been
1:45 · beaten with rods my Lord in as much as I
1:48 · was unable to complain to the prefect
1:50 · because he was detained by ill health I
1:53 · have complained in vain to the benarus
1:56 · and the rest of the centurions of his
1:57 · unit accordingly I am implore your
2:00 · mercifulness not to allow me a man from
2:03 · overseas and an innocent one about whose
2:06 · good faith you may inquire to have been
2:09 · bloodied by rods as if I had committed
2:11 · some
2:12 · crime this is a short letter written to
2:15 · a slave of the soldier very kundus it's
2:18 · probably a shopping list giving us an
2:20 · insight into what Roman soldiers like to
2:22 · eat for context Modi e and sear e are
2:25 · units of measure bruis beans to Modi
2:29 · chickens 20 100 apples if you can find
2:32 · nice ones 100 or 200 eggs if they are
2:35 · for sale at a fair price eight sear of
2:38 · fish sauce and a modius of Olives it's
2:42 · not clear the status of the author of
2:44 · this letter his name was mayor but he
2:46 · could have been a soldier or a Freedman
2:49 · mayor to his maritimus greeting I wanted
2:52 · you to know that this letter has been
2:54 · sent to me by my father in which he
2:56 · writes to me that I should make known to
2:58 · him what I shall have done done but if
3:00 · you have conducted business in that
3:02 · regard with the Imperial fredman see
3:04 · that you write back to me with clear
3:06 · information so that I can right back to
3:08 · this effect to my father if you have
3:10 · made any payment from time to time I
3:12 · shall remove grain from store for you
3:14 · without any delay in proportion to the
3:16 · sum which may be raised when I was
3:18 · writing this to you I was making the bed
3:19 · warm I wish you may enjoy the best of
3:21 · Fortune farewell if you intend to send a
3:24 · boy to me send a note of hand with him
3:26 · so that I may be the more
3:28 · reassured
3:30 · this letter talks about the incredible
3:32 · amounts of goods that were traded to
3:33 · enable the soldiers of Rome to Garrison
3:36 · far-flung
3:37 · fortifications Octavius to his brother
3:39 · candidus greetings the1 of senu from
3:42 · marinus I will settle up from the time
3:45 · when you wrote to me about this matter
3:47 · he has not even mentioned it to me I
3:48 · have several times written to you that I
3:50 · have brought about 5,000 mod of ears of
3:52 · corn on account of which I need cash
3:55 · unless you send me some cash at least
3:57 · 500 dinar the result shall be that I
3:59 · shall lose what I have laid out as
4:01 · deposit about 300 dinari and I shall be
4:04 · embarrassed so I ask you send me some
4:06 · cash as soon as possible the hides which
4:08 · you write are at Cataract donian write
4:10 · that they be given to me and the wagon
4:12 · about which you write and write to me
4:14 · what is with that wagon I would have
4:15 · already been to collect them except that
4:17 · I did not care to injure the animals
4:19 · while the roads are bad see with Titus
4:21 · about the 8 and a half dinari which he
4:23 · received from Fatalis he has not
4:25 · credited them to my account know that
4:27 · I've completed the 170 hides and I have
4:30 · 119 Modi of thresh brackets make sure
4:33 · that you send me cash so that I may have
4:35 · ears of grain on the threshing floor
4:36 · moreover I've already finished threshing
4:38 · all that I had a messmate of our friend
4:41 · fronius has been here he was wanting me
4:43 · to allocate him hides that being so was
4:45 · ready to give cash I told him I would
4:48 · give him the hides by the 1st of March
4:50 · he decided that he would come by the
4:52 · 13th of January he did not turn up nor
4:54 · did he take any trouble to obtain them
4:56 · since he had hid if he had given the
4:58 · cash I would have given them I hear that
5:00 · frontinus ulius has made sale at a high
5:03 · price for the levare which he has
5:05 · brought here for five dinar a piece
5:07 · greet Spectators and ferus I have
5:10 · received letters from glyco farewell
5:13 · thank you for watching to the end I hope
5:15 · you enjoyed the words of real Roman
5:17 · soldiers nearly 2,000 years after they
5:20 · wrote these letters to their comrades
5:22 · colleagues and brothers

Transcript
0:00	·	these are letters written by Roman
0:01	·	soldiers nearly 2,000 years ago they
0:04	·	were written on wooden tablets in ink
0:06	·	made from charcoal and tree sap when
0:08	·	they were discovered they were the
0:10	·	oldest handwritten texts ever found all
0:13	·	of them come from vindel Landa a Roman
0:15	·	Fort right by Hadrian's Wall they were
0:17	·	preserved in anerobic bog likee
0:19	·	conditions so what you're about to hear
0:22	·	are real Roman soldiers from the 1st to
0:24	·	2nd Century ad nearly 2,000 years ago
0:28	·	this letter was written by the soldiers
0:29	·	Niger and brochas to their fellow
0:31	·	Soldier and friend Niger and brochas to
0:34	·	their serialis greeting we pray brother
0:37	·	that what you are about to do will be
0:39	·	most successful it will be so indeed
0:42	·	since it is both in accord with our
0:43	·	wishes to make this prayer on your
0:45	·	behalf and you yourself are most worthy
0:48	·	you will assuredly meet our governor
0:50	·	quite soon we pray our Lord and brother
0:53	·	that you are in good health this tablet
0:56	·	was composed by the soldier crus to his
0:58	·	friend crus to vus his brother an old
1:01	·	messmate very many greetings and I ask
1:04	·	of you brother valus I am surprised that
1:06	·	you have written nothing back to me for
1:08	·	such a long time whether you have heard
1:10	·	anything from my elders in which unit he
1:13	·	is and greet him from me in my words and
1:15	·	verillas the veterinary doctor ask forus
1:18	·	whether you may send through one of our
1:20	·	friends the pair of shears which he
1:21	·	promised me in exchange for money and I
1:23	·	ask you brother villus to greet from me
1:26	·	our sister thua right back to us how
1:28	·	vbus is it is my wish that you enjoy the
1:31	·	best of Fortune farewell this one is sad
1:35	·	don't know the name of this poor soldier
1:37	·	who is beaten by his peers he beat me
1:40	·	all the more I implore your majesty not
1:42	·	to allow me an innocent man to have been
1:45	·	beaten with rods my Lord in as much as I
1:48	·	was unable to complain to the prefect
1:50	·	because he was detained by ill health I
1:53	·	have complained in vain to the benarus
1:56	·	and the rest of the centurions of his
1:57	·	unit accordingly I am implore your
2:00	·	mercifulness not to allow me a man from
2:03	·	overseas and an innocent one about whose
2:06	·	good faith you may inquire to have been
2:09	·	bloodied by rods as if I had committed
2:11	·	some
2:12	·	crime this is a short letter written to
2:15	·	a slave of the soldier very kundus it's
2:18	·	probably a shopping list giving us an
2:20	·	insight into what Roman soldiers like to
2:22	·	eat for context Modi e and sear e are
2:25	·	units of measure bruis beans to Modi
2:29	·	chickens 20 100 apples if you can find
2:32	·	nice ones 100 or 200 eggs if they are
2:35	·	for sale at a fair price eight sear of
2:38	·	fish sauce and a modius of Olives it's
2:42	·	not clear the status of the author of
2:44	·	this letter his name was mayor but he
2:46	·	could have been a soldier or a Freedman
2:49	·	mayor to his maritimus greeting I wanted
2:52	·	you to know that this letter has been
2:54	·	sent to me by my father in which he
2:56	·	writes to me that I should make known to
2:58	·	him what I shall have done done but if
3:00	·	you have conducted business in that
3:02	·	regard with the Imperial fredman see
3:04	·	that you write back to me with clear
3:06	·	information so that I can right back to
3:08	·	this effect to my father if you have
3:10	·	made any payment from time to time I
3:12	·	shall remove grain from store for you
3:14	·	without any delay in proportion to the
3:16	·	sum which may be raised when I was
3:18	·	writing this to you I was making the bed
3:19	·	warm I wish you may enjoy the best of
3:21	·	Fortune farewell if you intend to send a
3:24	·	boy to me send a note of hand with him
3:26	·	so that I may be the more
3:28	·	reassured
3:30	·	this letter talks about the incredible
3:32	·	amounts of goods that were traded to
3:33	·	enable the soldiers of Rome to Garrison
3:36	·	far-flung
3:37	·	fortifications Octavius to his brother
3:39	·	candidus greetings the1 of senu from
3:42	·	marinus I will settle up from the time
3:45	·	when you wrote to me about this matter
3:47	·	he has not even mentioned it to me I
3:48	·	have several times written to you that I
3:50	·	have brought about 5,000 mod of ears of
3:52	·	corn on account of which I need cash
3:55	·	unless you send me some cash at least
3:57	·	500 dinar the result shall be that I
3:59	·	shall lose what I have laid out as
4:01	·	deposit about 300 dinari and I shall be
4:04	·	embarrassed so I ask you send me some
4:06	·	cash as soon as possible the hides which
4:08	·	you write are at Cataract donian write
4:10	·	that they be given to me and the wagon
4:12	·	about which you write and write to me
4:14	·	what is with that wagon I would have
4:15	·	already been to collect them except that
4:17	·	I did not care to injure the animals
4:19	·	while the roads are bad see with Titus
4:21	·	about the 8 and a half dinari which he
4:23	·	received from Fatalis he has not
4:25	·	credited them to my account know that
4:27	·	I've completed the 170 hides and I have
4:30	·	119 Modi of thresh brackets make sure
4:33	·	that you send me cash so that I may have
4:35	·	ears of grain on the threshing floor
4:36	·	moreover I've already finished threshing
4:38	·	all that I had a messmate of our friend
4:41	·	fronius has been here he was wanting me
4:43	·	to allocate him hides that being so was
4:45	·	ready to give cash I told him I would
4:48	·	give him the hides by the 1st of March
4:50	·	he decided that he would come by the
4:52	·	13th of January he did not turn up nor
4:54	·	did he take any trouble to obtain them
4:56	·	since he had hid if he had given the
4:58	·	cash I would have given them I hear that
5:00	·	frontinus ulius has made sale at a high
5:03	·	price for the levare which he has
5:05	·	brought here for five dinar a piece
5:07	·	greet Spectators and ferus I have
5:10	·	received letters from glyco farewell
5:13	·	thank you for watching to the end I hope
5:15	·	you enjoyed the words of real Roman
5:17	·	soldiers nearly 2,000 years after they
5:20	·	wrote these letters to their comrades
5:22	·	colleagues and brothers