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From Alan Bowman and David Thomas, The Vindolanda Writing Tablets
(Tabulae Vindolandenses II), London: British Museum Press,
1994. pp. 363-365
The survey of the writing-tablets in VRR II, 18-72 offers
summaries of the contents of a very large number of the texts with
quotations of the readings. The references to the texts are by inventory
number only, since the publication numbers of the present volume
were not available when the survey was compiled. Not surprisingly,
there are a number of places in which our readings differ from those
suggested in VRR II. For the convenience of the reader
we append below a list of texts where there are differences which
seem to us substantive, quoting our publication number, the inventory
number and the page reference in VRR II. This list is strictly
confined to matters of reading and meaning in the texts themselves;
matters of broader historical interpretation are not addressed.
119
(85.183), p.35.
137
(85.199), p.33.
156
(85.248), p.34.
167
(85.082), p.42.
180
(88.943), p.58.
182
(88.947), p.58, p.65.
184
(87.622), p.69.
185
(88.950), p.28.
187
(87.704), p.34.
188
(85.016), p.34.
193
(85.111), p.34.
206
(85.321), p.34.
213
(88.865), p.29.
214
(88.940), p.29.
215
(86.447+448), p.57.
225
(I 37), p.44.
226
(85.001), p.42.
234
(85.118), p.21, p.40.
239
(85.194), p.39.
258
(85.120), p.40.
263
(I 23), p.41, p.47 (where it is cited as "BT 22").
264
(85.084), p.42.
286
(86.444), p.42.
291
(85.057), p.39.
294
(85.056), p.39.
298
(I 33), p.56.
300
(87.608), p.35.
301
(87.748), p.28.
309
(85.051), p.35.
312
(88.935), p.37, p.50.
324
(I 42), p. 35, p.39.
325
(I 43), pp.35-6.
343
(88.946), p.59.
350
(87.788), p.67.
439
(85.321), p.34.
495
(85.830), p.28.
505
(89.980), p.29.
We offer a few additional comments on texts discussed in VRR II,
in particular the stilus tablets.
p.4, p.35: we think it unlikely that there is any reference to
the ala Vocontiorum in 316.
p.21: the reference for the phrase de carris Brittonum
should be to Inv.no.1108.
p.27: we are not sure that the letters cos can be read
in 305
(88.828); but even if the reading is correct, it is most likely
that they are part of a longer word.
p.29: 88.836, a stilus tablet in two pieces. The larger, probably
palimpsest on the front, has Cataractonio / Alvano on the
back, which we take to mean that it was sent to Albanus at Catterick.
The smaller piece, which is not palimpsest, may very well not belong
with this. It has the opening of a letter and seems to us to read
Albinus Deli.o suo salutem (there seems to be insufficient
room for Delicio).
p.30: 88.851, a stilus tablet. The back is divided by a recessed
strip and letters have been scratched both to left and right of
this. We believe that they should be read in continuous lines across
the recess (not in two columns as suggested in VRR II). This yields,
we think, the reading Vinouis in the first line (i.e. a
place-name in the locative, cf. 185).
We cannot see the reading Eburacum, suggested for the following
line.
p.33: for our suggested reconstruction of the formulaic reports
with the renuntium-heading, see above, pp.73-6.
p.35: 87.725, a stilus tablet. We are unable to read the ink writing
on the rim, but we do not think that the name Africanus is there.
p.43: 87.561, a stilus tablet. We are unable to confirm the readings
suggested for the tablet and for the rim.
p.43: 87.722, stilus tablet. The reading Cerial[ is suggested
but the position of the scratches would better suit a place-name.
Only c and r are certain but we think that Coris
can be read (cf. 154.7). For the name of the addressee we suggest
Rumano.
p.45: Flavius Similis (cf. also pp.42 and 56). He is the addressee
of a draft letter from Cerialis (235)
and himself writes to Cerialis at Vindolanda in 254
(cf. 286).
In addition, it is probably a slave of his who writes to Vindolanda
in 347.
All this clearly implies that Similis was not at Vindolanda.
p.45: Paternus (cf. p.31). We now think 283
(I 40) likely to have been addressed to Cerialis. Paternus in 218
(= I 34) is certainly not a prefect.
p.46: [Perp]etuus. The reading ]etuo praefecto
in 177.2
is only one possibility.
p.51: we are sure that Chrauttius does not occur in 258
(85.120).
p.57: 87.689, a stilus tablet. Again we suggest that this is to
be read in continuous lines, not in two columns (see above on p.30,
88.851). The first line has the place-name Vindolande (= Vindolandae,
locative). The next line has the name of the addressee, ending -io
Veceto, and the third line has (presumably) the name of the
sender, ending -stio Optato.
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