Details

LOT 0095

Roman Wooden Tablet with Testamentary Dispositions of Iulius Pomp(onius)

MID 4TH CENTURY A.D.

8 x 6 3/8 in. (106 grams, 20.2 x 16.2 cm).

The third and last tablet of a Roman will made by Iulius Pomp(onius?), parts of lost surface on the inner face, two small holes both at the upper and lower rim (for binding the tablets of this document together); on the inner face the recess inscribed with twenty-one lines of Roman cursive script consisting of testamentary dispositions regarding a special category of fields (gemiones), ending with the mancipatory formula of Roman testaments; on the outer face two sulci and signatures of witnesses. [No Reserve]

Provenance

Acquired by Albert Sfez in the early 1950s.
Formerly the property of Monsieur Alain Sfez, a Belgium collector; acquired by gift from his father Albert Sfez, in 1965.
Acquired by a London dealer in 1973.
From an important London collection since 1975; thence by descent.

Accompanied by a copy of an illustrated academic report by Professor Dr phil. Peter Rothenhöfer.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12601-230811.

Published

Exhibited at the Harwich Museum, Harwich, Essex, UK, 27th August-10th December 2025; accompanied by a copy of a photograph of the artefacts on display.

Literature

Cf. Rothenhöfer, P., and Blänsdorf, J., 'Sana mente sanaque memoria testamentum feci: Eine testamentarische Verfügung vom 12. April 340 n. Chr.', Gephyra 13 (2016), pp.153-163; Rothenhöfer, P., Neues zum Testament des Pomponius Maximus aus dem Jahr 371 n. Chr. (Notes on the Testament of Pomponius Maximus from the Year AD 371); Zeitschrift der Savigny Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte (Romanistische Abteilung) 142, 2025, pp. 200-232; also see Thomas, J. D., Vindolanda: The Latin Writing Tablets, Britannia Monograph Series No 4, London, 1983, for examples of wooden tabulae re-used as writing surfaces; for examples of testamentary documents on wooden tablets that have survived, see FIRA III, p.47, for Anthony Silvanus from 142 AD, also see BGU VII 1695 for Safinnius Herminus; for another from Transfynydd, North Wales, see Arch. Camb. 150, pp.143-156; and see Bowman, A.K., Life and letters on the Roman frontier: Vindolanda and its people, London, 1994, for discussion of the uses of Roman writing tablets; Rothenhoefer, P., Neue römische Rechtsdokumente aus dem Byzacena-Archiv / New Roman Legal Documents from the Byzacena Archive, (forthcoming).

Footnotes

Professor Dr phil. Peter Rothenhöfer writes: 'Without any doubts this tablet is an original document from Roman times. Because only few Roman testaments have survived this document is of great importance both for Roman Legal and Social History'.