The Roman Army, 31 BC–AD 337: A Sourcebook

Veterans 203
year 7 of the divine Trajan, month Hathyr, [through] the tribune [ _ _ _
son of] Proclus. [ _ _ _ ] page twenty-seven: Lucius Cornelius [Antas]
who wishes to live in the Arsinoite nome, with his [wife] and children,
Heraclides—years, Crispina—years, and Ammonarion—years. The
above-mentioned Antas displayed a bronze tablet, a copy of which is set
out here, by means of which he demonstrated that he had been registered
along with his children and his wife, as follows: Lucius Cornelius Antas,
son of Heraclides, born in the military camp, soldier on double pay of
the Augustan ala of which Messius Julianus is the prefect, Antonia,
daughter of Crispus, his wife, Heraclides his son, Crispina his daughter,
Ammonarion his daughter. He also brought forward a copy of the records
in the (temple) of Castor and Pollux which included the statement that
he had served for twenty-six years and had been honourably discharged;
and he produced three witnesses to his identity: Claudius [ _ _ _ ], Egnatius
Niger, Julius [ _ _ _ ]
(Back) Copy of the certification of status of Cornelius Antas.
In this document the spaces left for the children’s ages were not filled in. In Egypt
the epikrisis examined the status of individuals to establish who was liable to
tax, especially the poll tax. Since veterans were exempt from the tax, if they
chose to settle in a particular district (nome) it was necessary to keep accurate
records of tax-payers and non tax-payers. Soldiers presented their diplomas (if
they had them) or other documentation to the official delegated by the prefect, as
proof of honourable discharge and entitlement to benefits. Veterans who appear
‘without bronze tablets’ can readily be explained as those who at the epikrisis
presented a document other than a diploma. In one case a veteran produced a
letter from his commanding officer stating that he had been honourably discharged
from his unit (Daris Documenti: 97; cf. text no. 329).
331 D 49. 16. 13. 3
(Macer (3rd C.AD), Book II On Military Affairs)
In general there are three kinds of discharge: honourable, medical,
dishonourable. An honourable discharge is that which is granted when
the full period of military service has been completed; a medical
discharge is when some one is pronounced to be unsuitable for military
service through mental or physical infirmity; a dishonourable discharge
is when someone is dismissed from the service because he has committed
an offence. A man who has been dishonourably discharged may not
live in Rome or be in the imperial entourage.
An honourable discharge was the key to all a veteran’s praemia; soldiers who
were dismissed from the service for medical reasons were in practice held to be