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
- ↑ Alan Bowman and David Thomas, Vindolanda: the Latin writing tablets, London: Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1983, pp. 256
- ↑ 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.'
- 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.