judaism_and_rome 2026-05-30T14:53:08+02:00 1 338 Inscription https://heurist.huma-num.fr/heurist/?recID=338&db=judaism_and_rome 2022-08-16 23:18:43 2025-07-22 16:56:40 public Edict on the immunity of veterans from the Legio X Fretensis in Egypt (CIL XVI, App. 12) Two rectangular plaques of wood; they survive intact with the exception of one corner of one plaque which has started to rot. One plaque is decorated with a border. The text is arranged in three columns over three of the faces. One exterior face contains two columns of text: 20 lines are written in one direction and are separated from a column of text, written at a forty-five degree angle to it, containing a list of names. 0094-07-02 0094 7 2 5438 Latin 5323 5322 2414 3832 5321 5455 4476 5326 5325 5324 4686 <p>This rare, wooden copy of a military diploma was excavated in 1909 from the ruins of Philadelphia Arsinoitica, Egypt. It was copied in 94 CE from a bronze original that was inscribed in 88/89 CE, and attached to the wall of the Caesareum in Alexandria. It is an unusual document because as well as recording the honourable discharge and privileges awarded to the veterans concerned, it also records part of an imperial edict of the emperor Domitian. The veteran to whom this diploma was issued belonged to a particular legion of soldiers that held especial privilege with the Flavian emperors, the <em>Legio X Fretensis</em>, who had assisted in the siege of Jerusalem before eventually being stationed there permanently as the occupying legion of Judea.</p><p>Column I of the exterior face records the names of nine witnesses who observed the copying of the diploma. Bronze military diplomas typically bear the names of seven witnesses, but in this case there are an additional two for reasons unknown. Five of the nine are identified as members of the ‘Pollia’ voting tribe, one of the sixteen rural tribes of ancient Rome. All of the witnesses are described as <em>veteranus</em> – veteran – indicating that they too had been honourably discharged and received the same privileges to which they were themselves bearing witness.</p><p>Column II of the exterior face contains the preamble and the remains of the so-called ‘Edict of Domitian’. The preamble gives the date that the wooden copy was made (94 CE) through the naming of the consuls, Lucius Nonius Calpurnius Torquatus Asprenas and Titus Sextius Magius Lateranus. The date that the edict was actually passed is indicated to be 88/89 CE, when Domitian held tribunician power for the 8^th time (<em>tribunicia potestate VIII</em>). The preamble also records the official notice of honourable discharge, that Marcus Valerius Quadratus, a veteran, was honourably discharged from the Legion Tenth Fretensis (<em>Marcus Valerius…Quadratus veteranus dimissus honesta / missione ex legione X fretense</em>). The official notice of this discharge was placed beside the ‘Great Temple of the Caesars’, or the <em>Caesareum</em> of Alexandria. Clifford Ando has noted that many discharge diplomas from Egypt record the official placement of their discharge diploma as the <em>Caesareum</em>, but in this instance the location is more specific (Ando, <em>Imperial Ideology</em>, p. 356). The bronze tablet was affixed ‘next to the shrine of Venus in Marble, on the wall, on which is written that which follows’ (<em>secus aedem Veneris mar/moreae in pariete in qua scriptum est id quod infra scriptum est</em>), or right next to where the official Edict of Domitian had also been put up. It is perhaps for this reason that the edict was copied into the wooden version of the diploma, in order to retain the details that the edict next to it also stated.</p><p>The edict was made by Domitian in 88/89 CE in order to grant immunity and citizenship to all veterans of the <em>Legio X Fretensis</em> stationed in Alexandria. In the text this is implied by ‘<em>universorum / vestrorum veterani milites</em>’ (‘veteran soldiers of your entire population’), which the editors of <em>Ancient</em> <em>Roman Statutes </em>acknowledged did not make full sense in Latin. They argued that the meaning was clear, however, and addressed the particular group of veterans that belonged to this one legion that were based in Egypt (Johnson, Coleman-Norton, and Bourne, <em>Ancient Roman Statutes</em>, p. 160, n. 3). Susan Phang, however, believed the language to be “expansive,” with the edict “probably apply[ing] to veterans in general” (Phang, <em>Marriage of Roman </em>soldiers, p. 72; also Alston, <em>Soldiers and Society</em>, p. 217, n. 23.v). As the second tablet of the diptych is missing, the end of the edict of Domitian and the beginning of the statement about the <em>Legio X Fretensis </em>is missing, and it is impossible to know exactly how specific the edict was intended to be. The veterans referred to in the edict, and their family members, were to be granted immunity “from all public taxes and harbour fees” (<em>omnibus vectigalibus / portitoribus publicis</em>) as well as Roman citizenship (<em>omni…iure cives Romani esse possint</em>). This latter benefit was a common feature of military diplomata, which were only issued for those members of the auxiliary forces who did not, by their very nature as auxiliaries, already have full citizenship (see also the <a href="https://heurist.huma-num.fr/judaism_and_rome/tpl/public-record/172" target="_blank">Military diploma granting citizenship to the fleet at Ravenna</a>).</p><p>Column III, inscribed on the interior of the panels, records a decree that is without question directly related to the <em>Legio X Fretensis, </em>and it is here that their singular importance to the Flavian dynasty can be noted. The decree records certain unknown (due to the state of preservation) privileges to the veterans and their wives and children, and appears to be a standard auxiliary diploma (Alston, <em>Soldiers and Society</em>, p. 217, n. 23.v). However, these privileges were awarded only to those who “soldiered at Jerusalem in the Legion Tenth Fretensis and were honourably discharged, after serving out their time” (<em>qui militaverunt Hierosolymnis / in legione X fretense dim{m}issorum honesta missione stipendis eme/ritis</em>). The Legion Tenth Fretensis had been formed under Octavian in 41/40 BCE; it had fought with him against Pompey at Battle of Naulochus in 36 BCE, from which it earned its name ‘Fretensis’, in reference to the Strait of Messina (<em>Fretum Siculum</em>) being close to where the battle took place. The Legion also fought with Octavian at Actium, after which it was sent briefly to the Balkans, before being stationed in Syria in 6 CE and Cyrrhus in 18 CE (Tacitus, <em>Annals</em>, II.57). During Nero’s reign the Legion participated in campaigns against the Parthians (58-63 CE) under the leadership of Cnaeus Domitius Corbulo. Once Corbulo was recalled to Rome in 66 CE, the Legion came under the command of Vespasian and was centrally involved in the First Jewish War, taking part in the siege of Jerusalem (Josephus, <em>Jewish War</em>, V, 2.4-5; 6.3; for a thorough description of the Legion’s campaigns in Judea, see Dąbrowa, <em>Legio X Fretensis</em>, p. 1-21). Following Vespasian and Titus’s respective departures for Rome, a new military governor, Lucilius Bassus, was sent from Rome, under whom the <em>Legio X Fretensis</em> was engaged in the suppression of the few remaining Jewish strongholds, including Herodium (Josephus, <em>Jewish War</em>, VII.6.1), and the fortress Machaerus on the shore of the Dead Sea (Josephus, <em>Jewish War</em>, VII.6.5). After Lucilius Bassus’s death, the new governor Lucius Flavius Silva led the Legion to destroy Masada, the last Jewish stronghold, in 73 CE (Josephus, <em>Jewish War</em>, VII.8.1-9.2). From the end of the war in Judea, the Legion became a permanent occupying force in the province with its main camp remaining in the city of Jerusalem; until the reign of Trajan they took part in no further major warfare, but rather served as the core of the Roman garrison (Dąbrowa, <em>Legio X Fretensis</em>, p. 14). Although the evidence is somewhat scarce, it appears that the Legion also took part in the defence of the city during the Bar Kokhba revolt (see <em>CIL</em> III, 7334.)</p><p>Although some veterans may have settled in Judea, the epigraphic evidence suggests that the largest number were settled outside of the province in Egypt (Dąbrowa, <em>Legio X Fretensis</em>, p. 21). This is likely to have been due to its proximity to Judea and the relative wealth that the province offered; veterans were “socially and politically prominent” and it might be conjectured that those from a legion as important to the Flavians as the <em>X Fretensis</em> would be particularly well provided for (Garnsey, <em>Social Status</em>, p. 249). The award of citizenship, immunity from taxation and settlement in the richest province of the Roman world was an indication of the high esteem in which these soldiers were held, and the important role that they had played in the military campaigns that had secured the empire for the Flavian dynasty.</p> marriage legitimacy Rome (city) bronze tablet Flavians Vespasian Titus Domitian First Jewish Revolt Jerusalem siege of Jerusalem Judea Legion X Frentensis veterans Egypt army base Roman conquests Roman citizenship immunity tax exemption public tax Alexandria, Egypt. Graeco-Roman Museum, inventory no.: 19045 Wood (oak) Height: 20 cm Width: 17 cm Depth: 0.8 cm 40 Philadelphia, Egypt. Column I (exterior face A):<br />  <br /> C EPIDIVS C F POL<br /> BASSVS VET<br /> L PETRONIVS L F POL<br /> CRISPVS VET<br /> M PLOTIVS M F POL<br /> FVSCVS VET<br /> M ANTONIVS M F POL<br /> CELER VET<br /> P AVDASIVS P F POL<br /> PAVLLVS VET<br /> M ANTONIVS LON<br /> GVS PVLL VET<br /> L PETRONIVS NIGER<br /> VET<br /> L VALERIVS CLEMEN<br /> VET<br /> M ANTONIVS GER<br /> MANVS VET<br />  <br /> Column II (exterior):<br />            <br /> L NONIO CALPVRNIO TORQVATO ASPRENATE T SEXTIO MAGIO<br /> LATERANO COS VI NON IVLIAS ANNO XIII IMP CAESARIS DOMITIANI<br /> AVG GERMANICI MENSE EPIP DIE VIII ALEX AD AEGYPTVM<br /> M VALERIVS M F POL QVADRATVS VET DIMMISSVS HONESTA<br /> MISSIONE EX LEG X FRETENSE TESTATVS EST SE DESCRIPTVM<br /> ET RECOGNITVM FECISSE EX TABVLA AENEA QVAE EST FIXA<br /> IN CAESAREO MAGNO ESCENDENTIVM SCALAS SECVNDAS<br /> SVB PORTICVM DEXTERIOREM SECVS AEDEM VENERIS MAR<br /> MOREAE IN PARIETE IN QVA SCRIPTVM EST ET ID QVOD INFRA SCRIPTVM ES[ ]<br /> IMP CAESAR DIVI VESPASIANI F DOMITIANVS AVG GERMANICVS<br /> PONTIFEX MAXIMVS TRIB POTEST VIII IMP XXVI CENSOR PERPETVVS<br /> P P DICIT VISVM EST MIHI EDICTO SIGNIFICARE VNIVERSORV[ ]<br /> VESTRORVM VI VETERANI MILITES OMNIBVS VECTIGALIB<br /> PORTITORIBVS PVBLICIS LIBERATI IMMVNES ESSE DEBEN[ ]<br /> IPSI CONIVGES LIBERIQVE EORVM PARENTES QVI CONVBIA [ ]<br /> RVM SVMENT OMNI OPTVMO IVRE C R ESSE POSSINT ET OM[ ]<br /> IMMVNITATE LIBERATI APSOLVTIQVE SINT ET OMNEM I[ ]<br /> NITATEM Q S S S PARENTES LIBERIQVE EORVM IDEM IVRI[ ]<br /> IDEM CONDICIONIS SINT VTIQVE PRAEDIA DOMVS TABERN[ ]<br /> INVITOS INTEMNI QVI VETERANOS S[ ]ONIS [ ]<br /> [<br />  <br /> ]<br />  <br /> Column III (interior):<br />  <br /> [ ]ETERANORVM CVM VXORIBVS ET LIBERIS S S IN AERE IN<br /> CISI AVT SI QVI CAELIBES SINT CVM IS QVAS POSTEA DVXISSENT<br /> DVMTAXAT SINGVLI SINGVLAS QVI MILITAVERVNT HIEROSOLYMNIS<br /> IN LEG X FRETENSE DIMMISSORVM HONESTA MISSIONE STIPENDIS EME<br /> RITIS PER SEX HERMETIDIVM CAMPANVM LEGATVM AVG PRO PRAETORE<br /> V K IAN SEX POMPEIO COLLEGA Q PEDVCAEO PRISCINO COS QVI MILITARE<br /> COEPERVNT P GALERIO TRACHALO TI CATIO ET T FLAVIO CN ARVLENO COS<br /> EX PERMISSV M IVNI RVFI PRAEFECTI AEGYPTI L NONIO CALPVRNIO<br /> TORQVATO ASPRENATE T SEXTIO MAGIO LATERANO COS K IVLIS ANNO<br /> XIII IMP CAESARIS DOMITIANI AVG GERMANICI MENSE EPIP DIE VII<br /> IBI M VALERIVS M F POL QVADRATVS CORAM AC PRAESENTIBVS EIS<br /> QVI SIGNATVRI ERANT TESTATVS EST IVRATVSQVE DIXIT PER I O M ET GENIVM<br /> SACRATISSIMI IMP CAESARIS DOMITIANI AVG GERMANICI IN MILITIA<br /> SIBI L VALERIVM VALENTEM ET VALERIAM HERACLVM ET VALERIAMARTEMIN OMNES TRES S S NATOS ESSE EOSQVE IN AERE INCISOS CIVITATEM<br /> ROMANAM CONSECVTOS ESSE BENEFICIO EIVSDEM OPTVMI PRINCIPIS 172 Roman CIL XVI, App. 12 AE 1910, 0075 AE 1950, 0240 AE 1993, 1659 EDH: HD029676 Yes <div style="text-align: justify;">Column I (exterior):</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;">C(aius) Epidius C(ai) f(ilius) Pol(lia)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Bassus vet(eranus)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">L(ucius) Petronius L(uci) f(ilius) Pol(lia)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Crispus vet(eranus)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">M(arcus) Plotius M(arci) f(ilius) Pol(lia)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Fuscus vet(eranus)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">M(arcus) Antonius M(arci) f(ilius) Pol(lia)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Celer vet(eranus)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">P(ublius) Audasius P(ubli) f(ilius) Pol(lia)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Paullus vet(eranus)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">M(arcus) Antonius Lon-</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">gus Pull(ia)(!) vet(eranus)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">L(ucius) Petronius Niger</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">vet(eranus)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">L(ucius) Valerius Clemen(s)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">vet(eranus)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">M(arcus) Antonius Ger-</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">manus vet(eranus)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><strong> </strong></div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Column II (exterior):</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;">L(ucio) Nonio Calpurnio Torquato Asprenate T(ito) Sextio Magio</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Laterano co(n)s(ulibus) VI Non(as) Iulias anno XIII Imp(eratoris) Caesaris Domitiani Aug(usti) Germanici mense Epip(h) die VIII Alex(andriae) ad Aegyptum</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">M(arcus) Valerius M(arci) f(ilius) Pol(lia) Quadratus vet(eranus) dim{m}issus honesta</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">missione ex leg(ione) X fretense testatus est se descriptum</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">et recognitum fecisse ex tabula aenea quae est fixa</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">in Caesareo magno escendentium scalas secundas</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">sub porticum dexteriorem secus aedem Veneris mar-</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">moreae in pariete in qua scriptum est {et} id quod infra scriptum es[t]</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Imp(erator) Caesar divi Vespasiani f(ilius) Domitianus Aug(ustus) Germanicus pontifex maximus trib(unicia) potest(ate) VIII imp(erator) XXVI censor perpetuus p(ater) p(atriae) dicit visum est mihi edicto significare universoru[m]</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">vestrorum u<t>(?) veterani milites omnibus vectigalib(us)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">portitoribus(!) publicis liberati immunes esse debe(a)n[t]</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">ipsi coniuges liberique eorum parentes qui conubia [eo]-</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">rum sument omni optumo iure c(ives) R(omani) esse possint et om[ni]</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">immunitate liberati apsolutique(!) sint et omnem i[mmu]-</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">nitatem q(ui) s(upra) s(cripti) s(unt) parentes liberique eorum idem iuri[s]  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;">idem condicionis sint utique praedia domus tabern[ae]  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;">invitos intemni qui veteranos s[--?]onis [---]  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;">[------ // ------]</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Column III (interior):</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;">[--- v]eteranorum cum uxoribus et liberis s(upra) s(criptis) in aere in-</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">cisi(s) aut si qui caelibes sint cum is quas postea duxissent</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">dumtaxat singuli singulas qui militaverunt Hierosolymnis(!)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">in leg(ione) X fretense dim{m}issorum honesta missione stipendis eme-</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">ritis per Sex(tum) Hermetidium Campanum legatum Aug(usti) pro praetore  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;">V K(alendas) Ian(uarias) Sex(to) Pompeio Collega Q(uinto) Peducaeo Priscino co(n)s(ulibus) qui militare</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">coeperunt P(ublio) Galerio Trachalo Ti(berio) Catio et T(ito) Flavio Cn(aeo) Aruleno co(n)s(ulibus)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">ex permissu M(arci) Iuni Rufi praefecti Aegypti L(ucio) Nonio Calpurnio</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Torquato Asprenate T(ito) Sextio Magio Laterano co(n)s(ulibus) K(alendis) Iuli(i)s anno</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">XIII Imp(eratoris) Caesaris Domitiani Aug(usti) Germanici mense Epip(h) die VII</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">ibi M(arcus) Valerius M(arci) f(ilius) Pol(lia) Quadratus coram ac praesentibus eis</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">qui signaturi erant testatus est iuratusque dixit per I(ovem) O(ptimum) M(aximum) et Genium</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">sacratissimi Imp(eratoris) Caesaris Domitiani Aug(usti) Germanici in militia  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;">sibi L(ucium) Valerium Valentem et Valeriam Heracl(i)u<u> et Valeriam</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Artemin omnes tres s(upra) s(criptos) natos esse eosque in aere incisos civitatem</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Romanam consecutos esse beneficio eiusdem optumi principis</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Translation adapted from Robert K. Sherk (ed.), The Roman Empire: Augustus to Hadrian, (1988) p. 145-6, n. 103, © Cambridge University Press 1988, reproduced with permission.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Exterior face, column I:</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Caius Epidius Bassus, son of Caius, veteran, (of the) Pollia (voting tribe); Lucius Petronius Crispus, son of Lucius, veteran, (of the) Pollia (voting tribe); Marcus Plotius Fuscus, son of Marci, veteran, (of the) Pollia (voting tribe); Marcus Antonius Celer, son of Marcus veteran, (of the) Pollia (voting tribe); Publius Audasius Paullus, son of Publius veteran, (of the) Pollia (voting tribe); Marcus Antonius Longus, veteran, (of the) Pollia (voting tribe); Lucius Petronius Niger, veteran; Lucius Valerius Clemens, veteran; Marcus Antonius Germanus, veteran.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Exterior face, column II:</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">When Lucius Nonius Calpurnius Torquatus Asprenas and Titus Sextius Magius Lateranus were consuls (AD 94), on the sixth day before the Nones of July in the thirteenth year of Imperator Caesar Domitianus Auustust Germanicus, month of Epip, the eight day, at Alexandria in Egypt: Marcus Valerius Quadratus, son of Marcus (of the tribe) Pollia, veteran honourably discharged from the Legion Tenth Fretensis, testified that he had a copy made and certified from the bronze tablet which is fixed to the Great Temple of the Caesars, as one climbs the second flight of steps beneath the right portico, beside the shrine of Venus in Marble, on the wall, on which is written that which follows.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Imperator Caesar, son of the deified Vespasian, Domitianus Augustus Germanicus, pontifex maximus, holding the tribunician power for the seventh time (AD 87-88), imperator for the 13^th time, perpetual censor, father of the fatherland, declares: I have decided to indicate by edict that veteran soldiers of your entire population ought to be free and immune from all public taxes and harbour fees, that they, their wives who married them, their children and their parents shall be Roman citizens with all the rights thereof, that they shall be free unconditionally with every immunity, and that, in regard to every immunity, those mentioned above – their parents and their children – shall have the same rights and the same status; and that their estates, houses and shops [---]</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Interior face, column III:</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">[---]of veterans with their wives and children mentioned above, (whose names) have been engraved on bronze, or, if they are unmarried, with those women whom they marry afterwards, provided only one to each (of the veterans) who soldiered at Jerusalem in the Legion Tenth Fretensis and were honourably discharged, after serving out their time, by Sectus Hermetidius Campanus, legate of Augustus with pro praetorian power, on the fifth day before the Kalends of January (December 28) in the consulship of Sextus Pompeius Collega and Quintus Peducaeus Priscinus (AD 93). Their military service began in the consulship of Publius Galerius Trachulus and Tiberius Catius (AD 68) and (in the consulship of) Titus Flavius and Gnaeus Arulenus (AD 69).</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">With the authorisation (to make a copy granted) by Marcus Iunius Rufus, prefect of Egypt, when Lucius Nonius Calpurnius Torquatus Asprenas and Titus Sextius Magius Lateranus were consuls (AD 94) on the Kalends of July (July 1), year thirteen of Imperator Caesar Domitianus Augustus Germanicus, in the month Epip, the seventh day.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">At that place (i.e. in front of the bronze original) Marcus Valerius Quadratus, son of Marcus, (of the tribe) Pollia, before and in the presence of those who were to sign (as witnesses), testified and swore by Jupiter Best and Greatest and by the genius of the most sacred Imperator Caesar Domitianus Augustus Germanicus that while he was in military service Licius Valerius Valens and Valeria Heraclus and Valeria Artemis – above-mentioned children – were all three of them born to him and that (their names) had been engraved on the bronze tablet and that they had received Roman citizenship through the beneficence of the same excellent leader.</div> Yes coniunx liber parens conubium ius civis Romanus immunis uxor milito Hierosolyma praefectus Domitianus Aegyptus veteranus dimissus honestus legio X fretensis tabula aenea aedes Veneris edictus vectigalium Caroline Barron English Imperial edict Yes 198 1