Roger Tomlin

Roger Simon Ouin Tomlin FSA (born 1943) is a British archaeologist specialising in the translation of Latin text and epigraphy. Tomlin is an Emeritus Fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford.[1]

Roger Tomlin FSA
Born	1943 (age 76–77)
Academic work
Discipline	Archaeology
Sub-discipline	Roman Archaeology Classical Archaeology Greek and Latin text
Institutions	University of Durham University of Oxford Wolfson College

Early life

Tomlin first studied Honour Moderations (Mods) at Oxford University before continuing onto study Literae humaniores (Greats). His college tutor was Peter Brunt, the Camden Professor of Ancient History.[2]

Career

After graduating Tomlin worked in the US for a couple of years before returning to take up a post at the University of Oxford teaching Late Roman History. He succeeded Richard Wright as editor of the Roman Inscriptions of Britain project and started working intensively on translating inscriptions.[2] Tomlin published the first translation of the curse-tablets from the Roman Baths at Aquae Sulis (Bath, UK) in 1988.[3] Tomlin translated the Bloomberg tablets, a collection of 405 wooden tablets inscribed with ink found between 2010 and 2013 during excavations for the Bloomberg building in London.[4] In 2019, a stylus from Roman London was translated by Tomlin; it was found to contain a humourous message to give to someone as a souvenir.[5]

He is a member of the Centre for the Study of Ancient Documents.[6]

Awards

Tomlin was elected as a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London on 5 May 1976.[7]

In March 2017 he received the István Hahn prize and gave an honorary lecture at Eötvös Loránd University.[2]

Tomlin had a Festschrift dedicated to him in 2019, titled "Litterae Magicae: Studies in honour of Roger S. O. Tomlin".[8]

Select publications[lower-alpha 1]

• 1988. "Tabellae Sulis: Roman Isncribed Tablets of Tin and Lead from the Sacred Spring at Bath", in Cunliffe, B. (ed) The Temp[le of Sulis Minerva at Bath. II: The Finds from the Sacred Spring (Oxford University Committee for Archaeology Monographs 16). Oxford. 56-269.
• 2005. (as editor) History and Fiction. Six essays celebrating the centernary of Sir Ronald Syme. London.
• 2010. "Cursing a Thief in Iberia and Britain", in Gordon, R. and Marco SImon, F. (eds) Magical Practices in the Latin West. Papers from the International Conference held at the University of Zaragoza 30th Sept-1st Oct 2005 (RGRW 168). Leyden-Boston. pp245–274.
• 2016. London's First Voices: Writing tablets from the Bloomberg London excavations 2010-14 (MOLA Monograph Series 72). London.

Note

1. As of 2019 Tomlin had 127 published works attributed to him

References

1. "Roger Tomlin". Wolfson College. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
2. Czeti, I.; Seres, D. (2019). ""I try to publish whatever turns up" Interview with Roger S.O. Tomlin". In Sanchez Natalia, Celia (ed.). Litterae Magicae: studies in Honour of Roger S. O. Tomlin. Libros Porticos. pp. 19–28.
3. Jordan, D. ""Curses from the waters of Sulis" review of - ROGER TOMLIN , "THE CURSE TABLETS" (suggested abbreviation: Tab. Sulis). Chapter 4 in B. CUNLIFFE (ED.), THE TEMPLE OF SULIS MINERVA AT BATH, II: FINDS FROM THE SACRED SPRING (Oxford University Committee for Archaeology, monograph 16, 1988, distributed by Oxbow Books, Park End Place, Oxford)". Journal of Roman Archaeology. 3. pp. 437–441.
4. "UK's oldest hand-written document 'at Roman London dig'". BBC News. 1 June 2016.
5. "This Ancient Roman Souvenir Stylus Is Inscribed With a Corny Joke". SmithsonianMag. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
6. "Dr Roger Tomlin, MC Member". Centre for the Study of Ancient Documents. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
7. "Roger Simon Ouin Tomlin". Society of Antiquaries of London. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
8. Sanchez Natalia, Celia, ed. (2019). Litterae Magicae: studies in Honour of Roger S. O. Tomlin. Libros Porticos.

External links

• Roger Tomlin giving a lecture 'Roman London's First Voices' at Gresham College in October 2017