"I shall expect you, sister. Farewell, sister, my dearest soul, as I hope to prosper, and hail."
An ancient wooden tablet discovered at the Roman fort of Vindolanda was found to present the oldest found instance of woman writing in Latin. Dating back to between CE 97 and 103, it presents a text by Claudia Severa, who invited her friend, Sulpicia Lepidina, to her birthday celebration.
The Vindolanda tablets, unearthed since 1973 at the site near Hadrian's Wall in northern England, have provided an extraordinary glimpse into the daily lives of Roman military families. To date, at least 1,700 writing tablets and inscriptions have been found, according to Live Science. These artifacts offer unique information about the personal relationships and social customs of the time.
The invitation from Severa is particularly significant. On one side of the tablet, the sender and recipient are named: "To Sulpicia Lepidina, wife of Cerialis, from Claudia Severa." The message, written in elegant cursive script by a scribe, reads: "On September 11, sister, for the day of the celebration of my birthday, I give you a warm invitation to make sure that you come to us, to make the day more enjoyable for me by your arrival, if you are present," as reported by Correio Braziliense.
In the lower right corner of the tablet, Severa added a personal touch in her own handwriting: "I shall expect you, sister. Farewell, sister, my dearest soul, as I hope to prosper, and hail," according to Scienze Notizie.
Severa's ability to write in her own hand indicates that she was literate and had access to education, thanks to her social status. She was an aristocrat, and her message provides an important clue for understanding the place of women in Roman society. The use of a scribe for the main part of the message was customary among the Roman elite, but her personal note highlights her high level of education, equivalent to the class of a Roman officer at the time, as noted by Sozcu.
The tablet itself is thin and delicate, measuring 8.8 by 3.8 inches (22.3 by 9.6 centimeters), and was made with carbon-based ink on both sides. Its preservation, along with many other organic remains such as shoes and camping equipment, is due to the oxygen-free soil conditions at Vindolanda. This has allowed archaeologists to bring the lifestyle of the period into the present day.
Vindolanda was recognized for its strategic importance in the 1st century CE. The extraordinary state of preservation at the site has led to the discovery of rare organic finds, including the tablets, which stand out for telling stories of everyday life, friendship, and humanity. Among these artifacts, this particular tablet illuminates the refinement and humanity of Severa, as reported by Scienze Notizie.
The letter is also notable for highlighting the importance of family and celebrations in Roman society. It mentions greetings to Lepidina's husband, Flavius Cerialis, and conveys that Severa's own husband, Aelius Brocchus, and her little son send their greetings as well.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.