Roman Military Diplomas: A Testament to Service and Reward
Roman military diplomas stand as compelling historical artifacts, offering invaluable insights into the structure, policies, and social dynamics of the Roman Empire. These bronze documents, issued primarily during the Principate period (52-284 AD), served as official records of honorable discharge and grants of privileges to non-citizen soldiers upon completion of their service.
Purpose and Recipients
Diplomas were issued to retiring veterans who had served in those corps of the Roman armed forces which enlisted peregrini, that is, inhabitants of the Roman empire who were not Roman citizens (the vast majority of the empire's population in the 1st and 2nd centuries). The first known diploma dates from AD 52, under emperor Claudius (r. Diplomas were not normally issued to discharged legionaries, as the legions recruited Roman citizens only. However, legionary diplomas were exceptionally issued after the Civil War of 68/69 AD. As an emergency measure, 2 new legions, the I and II Classica (later reconstituted and renamed as I and II Adiutrix, respectively) were formed mainly from naval marines, many of whom did not hold citizenship.
The End of an Era and Continued Practice
In 212, the Constitutio Antoniniana, issued by the emperor Caracalla, granted Roman citizenship to all the inhabitants of the empire, thus ending the second-class peregrini status. This made military diplomas largely redundant, and indeed the last known auxiliary diplomas date from AD 203. But diplomas for service in the navy, Praetorian Guard cavalry and the cohortes urbanae continued to be issued until the late 3rd century.
Privileges Granted
The veteran was granted Roman citizenship, which carried important legal and fiscal advantages, including exemption from the poll tax (tributum capitis) payable by all non-citizen subjects of the empire. Citizenship was also granted to the veteran's natural children, but not to his female partner. Until ca. 140, all children born to the veteran during his term of service were eligible. After that date, it appears that the grant was restricted to children born after the veteran's discharge (unless the veteran had registered children born before his enlistment). Until the time of emperor Septimius Severus (r. 197-211), serving soldiers were legally prohibited to marry. In practice, many formed stable relationships with local women and brought up families. An exceptional constitutio of emperor Hadrian (r.
Physical Structure and Content
The diploma consisted of two bronze tablets hinged together. Inscriptions would be engraved on each side of both plates. The full text of a diploma was engraved on the outer side of the so-called tabula 1, while the outer side of tabula 2 displayed the names of 7 witnesses, their seals covered and protected by metal strips (such seals have rarely survived, being of organic material). The text of tabula 1 was reproduced exactly on the two inner sides. The plates would then be folded shut and sealed together, so that the external inscription would be legible without breaking the seals. The internal inscription was the official notarised copy of the text on the constitutio published in Rome.
Read also: Your guide to Catholic scholarships
Verification and Archival Process
In a likely scenario, the holder would take the sealed diploma to the province or civitas (city/county) where he intended to live in retirement. He would then present the diploma to the keeper of archives either at the provincial governor's headquarters (or perhaps at his local civitas offices). The archivist could break the seals and check that the data on the internal inscription matched the external one.
Historical Significance
This constitutes a rare corpus of Roman documentary material, whose survival is due to their being made of metal, rather than degradable material such as papyrus, wood or wax. A particular advantage of diplomas for historians is that they are dated. The date of the constitution was entered as the year of the emperor's tribunicia potestas; while the date of issue of the notarised copy (diploma) was given as the day of the month and the names of the Consuls currently in office (resulting in diplomas being an important source for the names of suffect consuls). As these documents also list the name of the provincial governor, they provide valuable data on senators' career-paths. In addition, diplomas usually record the names of several auxiliary units which served in the same province at the same time, as they were normally issued in batches. Thus a single diploma may yield the names of as many as 25 units included in the same constitution, critical data on the deployment of auxiliary units in the various provinces of the empire at different times.
Recent Discoveries
Archaeologists have unearthed a fragment of a Roman military diploma near Micoșlaca, part of Ocna Mureș, Romania. This fragment replicates the imperial constitution of July 8, 158, for auxiliary soldiers of Dacia Superior, mirroring a diploma found in 1886 at Cristești (Târgu-Mureș). The discovery, facilitated by metal detecting, was thoroughly investigated with heritage police collaboration to clarify its archaeological context.
Another significant find occurred in Perre, an ancient city in modern-day Turkey. A bronze plate dating to 123 AD revealed a commendation for Calcilius Antiquus, who served 20 years in Syria, granting him Roman citizenship and the right to marry. This discovery highlights Perre's historical importance as one of the largest cities in the Kingdom of Commagene, retaining its stature during Roman rule due to its religious and geopolitical significance.
Case Study: A Diploma Fragment from AD 118
Five fragments of a bronze military diploma, dating back to July 17, AD 118, offer a glimpse into the rewards system for auxiliary soldiers in Roman Britain. The diploma, issued under Emperor Trajan Hadrian, granted citizenship and legal marriage rights to non-citizen soldiers after 25 years of service.
Read also: From National Champion to Pro
The fragments reveal that the diploma was issued to an infantry soldier of Cohors V Raetorum, commanded by Sextus Cornelius Dexter. The inscription confirms the soldier's unit and commanding officer, while also referencing the emperor's titles and the consuls in office.
Technical analysis of the fragments provides insights into the diploma's construction and preservation. The bronze sheet was cut from a larger sheet and engraved with a V-shaped tool. The presence of horizontal creases suggests that the diploma was folded in ancient times.
Example of a Diploma Text
The diploma grants Lucius Domitius Firmus, a member of the 8th Praetorian cohort, the right to marry and guarantees Roman citizenship to any children resulting from that marriage.
Read also: The Importance of Roman History
tags: #roman #military #diploma #history
