Fully Preserved Tabella II of a Roman Military Diploma Granted by Antoninus Pius

158 A.D.

5 - 7 1/2 in. (280 grams total, 12.7-19 cm).

A large rectangular tablet with traces of the capsula of the seals visible on the outer face, with three additional fragments of the capsula; text to the obverse: 'A(nte) d(iem) VIII id(us) Febr(uarias) Tertullo et Sacerdote co(n)s(ulibus). / Ex gregale Cn(aeo) Antonio Tuae f(ilio) Cnaeae Selinunt(o) ex Cilic(ia) et Antoniae Talli filiae Nani uxor(i) / eius Selinunt(o) et Saturnino f(ilio) eius et Capitoni f(ilio) eius. / Descript(um) et recognit(um) ex tabula aerea, quae fixa est Romae in muro post templ(um) divi Aug(usti) / ad Minervam.'; text to the reverse '// M(arci) Servili Getae / L(uci) Pulli Chresimi / M(arci) Sentili Iasi / Ti(beri) Iuli Felicis / C(ai) Belli Urbani / C(ai) Pomponi Statiani / P(ubli) Ocili Prisci'.

Provenance

German private collection, formed since the 1990s.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13525-263654.

Literature

See Hanel, N., Ein neues Diplom für einen Angehörigen der misenischen Flotte, Bonner Jahrbücher 185, 1985, 89–95, and Weiss, P., Die zweite Tabella des Militärdiploms RMD III 171 für die CLASSIS MISENENSIS, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 208, 2018, 279–280; RMD III 171.

Footnotes

Completely preserved tabula II of a Roman military diploma which was issued under Emperor Antoninus Pius (138-161 A.D.). The owner was a Gnaeus Antonius Gnaea, who served 26 years in the classis praetoria Misenensis, the Praetorian fleet stationed at Misenum, and who was honourably discharged from military service. The emperor granted Roman citizenship to him, his wife and children on 6 February 158. Following the legal requirements of the time, it was signed by seven witnesses. Originally, tabella 1 and 2 had been bound together. Unique are the well-preserved bronze strips for closing the space between the rims of both tablets, which form part of this extraordinary lot.

The first tablet of this diploma is stored at the National Museum of Scotland, inv. A.1987.133.

CONDITION

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The First Tablet of this Diploma is Stored at the National Museum of Scotland

LOT 0141