Life and Letters on the Roman Frontier [Paperback]

Alan K. Bowman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 18, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0415920256 | ISBN-13: 978-0415920254

Over three hundred letters and documents have recently been discovered at the fort of Vindolanda, written on wooden tablets which have amazingly survived nearly 2000 years. Painstakingly deciphered by Alan Bowman and J. David Thomas, they have contributed a wealth of evidence for daily life in the Roman Empire. From the military documents we learn of the strength and activities of the units stationed at Vindolanda. The accounts testify to the lifestyle of officers and ordinary soldiers, with payments for pepper and oil, towels and tallow, boots and beer. Then there are snapshots of domestic life in letters between the officers' wives, including a birthday invitation (see front cover). Most fascinating of all is the evidence for a high level of literacy in the Roman army, where even someone of humble rank receives a letter from home promising him a parcel of socks.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Octavius to his brother Candidus, greetings. The hundred pounds of sinew from Marinus -- I will settle up. From the time when you wrote about this matter, he has not even mentioned it to me. I have several times written to you that I have bought about five thousand modii of ears of grain, on account of which I need cash . . ..
–Roman soldier stationed on the wild northern-frontier of England around 100 AD.

About the Author

Alan K. Bowman is a Lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Oxford.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (January 18, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415920256
• ISBN-13: 978-0415920254
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #752,761 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I have this on my top shelf!, January 20, 2001

By 

Caius Fabius "caiusfabius" (Oklahoma United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Life and Letters on the Roman Frontier (Paperback)

If you want to have a feel for the thoughts, needs, and everyday interaction of the Roman soldier and family on the frontier, step into a time machine and go there, or, get this book and read the writings of the Camp commander's wife, the soldiers request for leave, and lists of purchases! You can't get a time machine, so this is the next best thing. The author helps you put the writings in the proper context, how they were found and about when they were written, but this book lets you look over the shoulder of the ancient Roman on the British frontier. Get it! You will read it because you are just as interested in the gossip as the commander's wife!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing look at life on the Roman frontier., July 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Life and Letters on the Roman Frontier (Paperback)

"Life and Letters on the Roman Frontier" is a fascinating analysis of a collection of wooden writing tablets found in the ruins of an old Roman fort in northern Britain. The tablets reveal much about the life of Roman soldiers on the British frontier, of whom most seem to have come from other peoples conquered by Rome. Through the tablets we are able to get a glimpse at the organization of the Roman army at that time and in that region, as well as at the domestic life in the Praetorium.The book also includes the Latin text of the most important tablets as well as photographs of the tablets and of other articles found at the site from that period (such as a leather sandal and a textile sock).

The book also shows that the Roman army depended on written correspondence and therefore had a surprisingly high level of literacy, surprising at least to the modern person who assumes that all, or most, who lived in past ages were thoroughly ignorant. In fact, the higher-ups seemed to enjoy a higher lifestyle than one would expect from the frontier, being able to import such luxuries as vintage wine and pepper.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone with an interest in Roman society in general or Roman military life on the frontier in particular.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid read, December 10, 2004

By 

David C. Peters "naerhu" (Osaka, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life and Letters on the Roman Frontier (Paperback)

This book was solid. It appears to be meant for people doing research for their own books, or academic work. So there is no real flow or story. It may just be me, but I did not catch the logic behind the arrangement of the chapters. That being said, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in knowing what it was like to be a man on the frontline in the Imperial Roman world. Ever wonder how Rome was able maintain dominance over the world for so long with so few people? This provides great insight. Although the reading was not so exciting, I am very glad to have read this, book as it provides huge amounts of food for thought. I would have preferred to give this book 3.5 stars, but no such option.