Inscriptions & Letters from Ancient Roman Soldiers for Kids Illustration

Inscriptions
& Letters Home

What is an inscription? An inscription is usually a note created by hand that has been written, carved, or chiseled on to an object.  Quite frequently, the Romans stamped the name of the brick maker onto the bricks they used.  They even had a law that said the makers of lead pipes that delivered water to buildings had to be stamped with the makers name.  Pottery makers signed their work.  Archeologists have found hundreds of thousands of Roman inscriptions and more are being found every year.

Unlike most ancient civilizations, the Romans honored people who could read and write, and many Romans learned how.  It is estimated that about one third of all Romans could read and write.  Even their soldiers knew how to read and write.  In Britain, they found inside an old Roman well a bunch of actual letters from the Roman soldiers stationed there, letters they had written to send home.  Why they were dumped in a well no one knows.

Real Letter from an Ancient Roman Soldier

Ancient Roman Inscriptions

The Roman Legion