Discovered in 1973, the Vindolanda Tablets have provided a unique insight into Roman life on a frontier post during the early Empire. Following the general line of what would be later Hadrian's Wall (constructed during the 120s AD), the Roman built a series of forts in Northern Britain in the 80s, 90s and first decade of the second century AD, of which Vindolanda was one.
Soil conditions led to the preservation of what are now almost a thousand wooden writing tablets containing duty rosters, supply lists, and personal correspondence from that era, all composed at a lonely outpost on the most northern part of the empire.
Perhaps the most well-known tablet is an invitation to a birthday party sent by Claudia Severa, wife of the commander of a fort near Vindolanda, to Sulpicia Lepidina wife of Flavius Cerialis, commander of Vindolanda and prefect of the 9th cohort of Batavians, which reads:
Claudia Severa to her Lepidina greetings. On 11 September, sister, for the day of the celebration of my birthday, I give you a warm invitation to make sure that you come to us, to make the day more enjoyable for me by your arrival, if you are present. Give my greetings to your Cerialis. My Aelius and my little son send him their greetings. I shall expect you, sister. Farewell, sister, my dearest soul, as I hope to prosper, and hail.
Though Cerialis (Cerealis) is the author or recipient of several dozen of the tablets we know little more about him. Some historians believe he was a Batavian (from the area that is now the Netherlands) whose family was granted Roman citizenship by Vespasian (founder of the Flavian dynasty) for its loyalty during the Batavian revolt of 69-70.
We also know little of the Ninth Cohort, which probably consisted of up to 500 auxiliaries. There is evidence that all, or part of the unit, participated in the Dacian Wars (102-6) but the unit is later attested to still in Britain at Hadrian's Wall.
As for Hostilius Flavianus, all we have is his name on two of the tablets and nothing more.
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