Claudius Terentianus was an Egyptian enrolled in the
Roman army
The Roman army () served ancient Rome and the Roman people, enduring through the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC), the Roman Republic (509–27 BC), and the Roman Empire (27 BC–AD 1453), including the Western Roman Empire (collapsed Fall of the W ...
. He was the author of a number of
papyrus
Papyrus ( ) is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, ''Cyperus papyrus'', a wetland sedge. ''Papyrus'' (plural: ''papyri'' or ''papyruses'') can a ...
-letters, mostly addressed to his father
Claudius Tiberianus
Claudius Tiberianus was a second-century Roman legionary soldier in Egypt, the recipient of a number of papyrus letters which were rediscovered in the twentieth century.
The archive of Claudius Tiberianus was partially published in the eighth vo ...
, a veteran settled in
Karanis
Karanis (), located in what is now Kom Aushim, was an agricultural town in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt located in the northeast corner of the Faiyum Oasis. It was roughly 60 hectares in size and its peak population is estimated to be 4000 people, al ...
.
Military service
Claudius Terentianus attempted to get into the Roman Army but, lacking suitable references, failed and enlisted in the lower status and more dangerous ''
classis Alexandriae'' (Alexandrian fleet) sometime around 110 AD. He complained about life in the fleet and never gave up hope of joining the Roman army, subsequently achieving his dream of transferring to a legion. He was deployed to Syria, possibly in relation to
Trajan
Trajan ( ; born Marcus Ulpius Traianus, 18 September 53) was a Roman emperor from AD 98 to 117, remembered as the second of the Five Good Emperors of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. He was a philanthropic ruler and a successful soldier ...
's Parthian campaign, and was wounded quelling civic unrest in Alexandria. Only around 50% of Roman soldiers survived to retirement. He was discharged in 136 AD after a full military career, and likely settled in the village of Karanis.
[https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/introduction-legion-life-roman-army]
Family
Claudius Terentianus repeatedly refers to Claudius Tiberianus as his father. While a few scholars think this may be an honorary title, most believe that Terentianus is Tiberianus' biological son (both do share the same ''nomen''). Terentianus also calls another man named Ptolemaios "father" (P Mich 5393); this is likely an honorary designator, although Ptolemaios may be his uncle by marriage. Terentianus also refers to a woman he calls his "mother" living in Alexandria, who is most likely his aunt Tabetheus. If she is the same woman who addresses Claudius Tiberianus as "brother" in P. Mich 5403, then she was living in Alexandria near where Terentianus was stationed. The same letter mentions that Terentianus had a brother named Isidoros and a sister named Segathis, who are being cared for by the aunt in Alexandria. It may be that Tiberianus was a widower, and entrusted his children to his sister in Alexandria while he was occupied with his own military career.
Letter highlights
P Michigan 5390 Results of a shopping spree in Alexandria; request for new boots.
P Michigan 5391 Terentianus recounts his enlistment in the fleet, and requests military equipment.
P Michigan 5393 Dispute with Ptolemaios, his "father," addressed to Claudius Terentianus, his father.
P Michigan 5400 A Riot in Alexandria, Terentianus is wounded. Possibly connected to the diaspora revolt of 115–117 AD.
Exhibitions
Claudius Terentianus was the unexpected hero of the
British Museum
The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...
's
Life in the Roman Army exhibition from Feb- June 2024. As part of their initiative to make exhibitions more relatable and personal, the exhibition followed his life story as he attempted to, joined, then retired from the Roman Army.
References
*Adams, J. N. ''The Vulgar Latin of the Letters of Claudius Terentianus. (P. Mich. VIII 467–472.'' Manchester, 1977.
* Lewis, N. "A Veteran in Quest of a Home." ''
''. 90 (1959) pp. 139–146.
* Strassi, S. "L'archivio di Claudius Tiberianus da Karanis," ''Archiv für Papyrusforschung und verwandte Gebiete''. Beiheft: 26, Berlin, 2008.
* Taylor, Michael J. "The Papyrus Letters of Claudius Terentianus: A Voice from Egypt." ''Ancient Warfare Magazine'', vol. 5, 2011.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Terentianus, Claudius
Year of birth missing
Year of death missing
Ancient Roman soldiers
Romans from Africa
2nd-century Egyptian people
2nd-century writers
Ancient Roman writers
Ancient letter writers
Claudii