The regional museum in Slavonski Brod, Croatia, managed to obtain an
extremely valuable antique artefact in 1997. It is a Roman
military diploma dating from the first century A.D, which had
been discovered by chance, while recovering sand from the Sava river bed.
It occupies a most unique place in the Museum's antiquity department for its importance and degree of preservation, together with a Roman leg armour discovered under similar circumstances in Sava river in 1975. Such diplomas are scare in our area as well as in wider neighbouring regions. The first were discovered in 19th and at the turn of 20th century. After a long period of time, the new ones were discovered at Negoslavci (near Vukovar) in 1975 and at Vukovar in 1993. Next to a military diploma from Grabarje, the above mentioned, is the second one found in the local area as for the latter military diploma, we can say that its excellent condition makes it unique among other similar documents. The seals of several witnesses should be mentioned as well as the the seal foundations and the movable cover which make it unparalleled. Its size is 16.8 x 13.1 cm, weighing 727.8g. The diploma was issued during the reign of the emperor Vespasianus 9/2/71 A.D, when he was the consul for the third time together with Marcus Kokceus Nerva, the future emperor. The recipient of the diploma was a centurion "Liccaivs Birsi F.Masunnia", and a veteran of tme misenic (classic Misenensis) who, together with other veterans of his unit, apart from the Roman civil code (civitas) and the right to lawful marriage (conubium) was a citizien of Paestum, south of Napoli. The original of this royal document is exibitedc in the Roman Capitol, at the basis to the ara of the Julius family. The roman military diploma is of extreme importance for Slavonski Brod, since the veteran Liccaius was a local man and a member of the mighty Breuci tribe (Breucus) and a citizien of Marsunnia (so far appearing in documenta as Marsonia). This is the first discovery of a recorded name of Roman town in the area of contemporary Slavonski Brod. The diploma bears witness to the existence of Marsunnia settlement and its location on a very important road and river communication spanning Sisak (Siscia) and Srijemska Mitrovica (Sirmium) which figured as the two most important cities in the Roman Pannonian provence. The name of the town confirms its domestic origins which has come down to us in the name of the loacl rivulet - Mrsunya. This importnat urban centre was developed where the rivulet flows into Sava river. The enriched our cultural and historic heritage, especially ercheological science and Slavonski Brod can use it as a proof of its long urban continuity.
Printed publication: RIMSKA VOJNICKA DIPLOMA IZ SLAVONSKOG BRODA, Muzej Brodskog Posavlja, Slavonski Brod, Croatia, 1998. ISBN 953-96101-3-3 Published on Web by: Slavonski Brod online, may 1998. Publication URL: www.sbonline.net/diploma/ |