Since the 1970s, hundreds of wooden writing tablets have been excavated at the ruined Roman fort of Vindolanda in Northumberland, England.

Since the 1970s, hundreds of wooden writing tablets have been excavated at the ruined Roman fort of Vindolanda in Northumberland, England.

 I wrote a short post about the "birthday invitation" tablet in June, which was excavated in 1985; this one here is Tablet 628, which includes a request for beer and dates to AD 97-105. It was found in the early 1990s, almost 1,900 years after it was written.

The tablet is a letter sent from a decurion named Masclus to the commander of the garrison of Vindolanda, Flavius Cerialis, husband of Sulpicia Lepidina, the woman who received the birthday invitation tablet mentioned above. In the letter, Masclus asks for further instructions and requests beer for his men. Below is a translation of the tablet:

Front

"Masclus to Cerialis his king, greeting. Please, my lord, give instructions as to what you want us to have done tomorrow. Are we to return with the standard to (the shrine at?) the crossroads all together or every other one (i.e. half) of us(?) … most fortunate and be well-disposed towards me. Farewell. My fellow-soldiers have no beer. Please order some to be sent."

Back

"To Flavius Cerialis, prefect, from Masclus, decurion."

Over 1,900 years ago in Vindolanda, outside the house of Flavius Cerialis, a fire was lit. The fire was set on the road outside Cerialis' house probably because the garrison (9th Cohort of Batavians) was leaving to fight in the Dacian Wars. 

The soldiers were demolishing the timber fort and destroying everything that they couldn't take with them, including hundreds, possibly thousands, of writing tablets belonging to Cerialis. However, the flames did not finish their job, probably due to rain or careless work by those in charge of the fire. Thus, the request for beer tablet survived. It is currently on display in the British Museum, London.