Folia archeologica 54.

Hoppál Krisztina: Rómaiak Kínában? A ganquani 2. sír római vonatkozású üveglelete

FOLIA ARCHAEOI.OGICA LIV. 2008-2010. BUDAPES T FRAGMENT OF A MILITARY DIPLOMA ISSUED IN 151 AD FROM SIÓFOK (COUNTY SOMOGY, HUNGARY) Zsolt MRÁV - István VIDA The fragment of a bronze military diploma was found in the Siófok area on the southern shore of Lake Balaton (County Somogy) at an unknown date and in an unknown archaeological context. Several fragments of the diploma were reportedly found, but nothing is known about the additional fragments. The appearance of the currently missing part of the diploma published here can tlms be expected in the future. The current location of the diploma is not known; ibis publication is based on a series of good quality photographs made in 2003.

1 The two currently known joining fragments, measuring 45 mm x 35 mm, are part of tabella I. The thickness of the tablet was not recorded. The letters on the outer and inner side are 3.5-4 mm high, with the letters being wider and less closely spaced on the inner side, giving the impression of being larger than the letters of the outer side. Tabella / probably measured around 140 mm x 100 mm and thus the fragment barely represents 10 per cent of the original plaque. flie following letters can be identified on the fragment: extrinsecus (Fig. 1) intus (Fig. 2) SIC SENIS[ RITDIMIS H| MIN SVBSCRI NON HAB IT[ CONVB CVM[ EST CIVT IS D| DVXII MCOM[ СОН I[ 1ADRIANI |F] DIV[ II NERVAE PRON1 INTONINVS AV[ ]MPIICOS[ The first seven surviving lines on the outer side correspond to the strongly abbreviated form of the standard formula. The many abbreviated words can be explained by the relatively small size of the bronze plaque. Although the reading of the text is fairly obvious, it cannot be precisely restored owing to the abbreviation variations. We have therefore only indicated the existing abbreviations in the reconstructed text. Line 8 had to contain the names of the actual consuls because line 9 mentions the unit of the soldier discharged with honesta missio. Although the constitution also affected soldiers serving in the lleet, the owner of the diploma did not serve in this 1 The photos were taken by Csaba Gedai and István Vida; the drawings based on the photos were made by Zsolt Mráv. We are greatly indebted to Csaba Gedai for his help.