Bronze slab from the Trajanic age, known as Tabula alimentaria dei Ligures Baebiani. Discovered near Circello in the forum area of the ancient municipium, 101 CE.

This is a bronze tablet discovered in Italy near Circello created during the Trajanic age around 101 CE. While the exact creator is unknown, the tablet was created in some capacity by the Roman government to record and publicize information (Judaism and Rome). According to the article “Food, Poverty and Patronage,” Trajan’s alimentary initiative was a policy designed to provide financial subsidies to children of poor families through the support of independent landowners (Woolf). The information about this initiative comes from both this tablet and another from Velleia. Featuring 246 lines, this tablet along with the other gives us an idea of how the system worked (Judaism and Rome).

In “The Story of Graphic Design,” the author argues that alphabets and writing systems have shaped design throughout history (Cramsie). This bronze tablet exemplifies the use of Latin in the Roman Empire, which Cramsie emphasizes in the chapter From the Invention of Writing to the Birth of Digital Design as a major stepping stone in the development of modern Western writing. Latin itself evolved from Greek and Etruscan writing systems and developed into a standardized script utilized by the Roman Empire. The empire, spanning across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, required structure in legal systems and planning, which Latin facilitated. Latin lettering was often utilized on public structures for both communication and status, and many argue that the chisel helped develop the stylistic aspect of the serif (Cramsie).

This bronze tablet emphasizes the use of monumental written communication in the ancient world, where a more standardized development of Latin script allowed for broader communication and effectiveness. Here, the tablet is unique in that it records humanitarian aid rather than a victory in battle or a temple description. While the alimentary tablet is an early example of somewhat philanthropic activity, it also likely served to bolster and solidify the reputation of the emperor and support poor Romans of a specific status (Woolf).

Writing systems and design are a form of communication that allows us to consider complex thought beyond the material to the conceptual. These markings allow us insight into the point of view of the ancient world. 

Sources: 

http://www.edr-edr.it/edr_programmi/view_img.php?id_nr=144345 Links to an external site.

Trajan and the ‘tabula alimentaria’ (CIL IX, 1455) Author(s) of this publication: Caroline Barron. URL: https://www.judaism-and-rome.org/trajan-and-%E2%80%98tabula-alimentaria%E2%80%99-cil-ix-1455

https://ares.uflib.ufl.edu/ares/ares.dll?Action=10&Type=10&Value=368774