TESSERE CONSULARES. 429 
freemen. In (1), (2), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), and (9), the day of the 
month is stated, but in (8) only the month. In (1), (5), (7), (8), 
and (9), the leading divisions of the Roman month—scil. Calends, 
Nones, and Ides—are mentioned ; but in (2), (4), and (6) interme- 
diate days. In (2) A.D. (ante diem) are given; but.in (4) and (6) 
they are omitted. In (8), (5), and (6), but in none of the others, 
COS follows the names of the consuls. On further enquiry rela- 
tive to these peculiarities, we find that of the sixty-two tessere, 
which are admitted by the best authorities to be genuine,* only five 
bear the names of freemen. Three give the month alone, and they 
differ from the others in this particular, that they were not found in 
or near Rome, but in other localities. 
The letters A.D. are found on the most ancient: the oldest of 
those on which they are omitted is of the date A.D. (Anno Domini) 5. 
Of the fifty-eight, which state the day of the month, twenty- 
four give the Calends, twelve the Ides, four the Nones, and eighteen 
intermediate days. COS does not appear on any, which were found 
at or near Rome, of a date before 52 B.C., but is common on those 
that were found there of dates after 8 B.C. The earliest date which 
is inscribed on any of the fessere is = 85 B.C., and the latest 
= 74 A.D: 
From these preliminary observations it is evident that no part of 
these inscriptions presents any difficulty,+ so far as the reading of 
* No fewer than twenty-eight, of which four or five are in the British Museum, are re= 
garded as “ suspected or false” by Mommsen, either on his own authority or in conjunce 
tion with that of Borghesi, Henzen, Hefner, Cardinali, or Olivieri. Borghesi remarks that 
Ligorius did not forge any ¢essere, and that counterfeits were not known before the com- 
mencement of the 18th century. Mommsen accepts this statement as generally but not 
universally true. 
+ As some of my readers may require aid, I subjoin the readings and translations of the 
examples, which I have given in p. 428:— 
(1) 
Diocles Diocles 
Longidi of Longidius 
(servus) (the slave) 
Sp——Kalendis Septembribus — the 1st of September, 
Cneio Octavio Caio Curione in the consulship of Cneius Octavius and 
Caius (Scribonius) Curio z.e, A. U.C. 678 
or B.C. 76. 
; (2) ‘ 
Ascinus Aiscinus 
Axsii of Axsius 
: (servus) (the slave) 
Sp—ante diem septimum Kalendas Apriles — the 26th of March, 
Quinto Hortensio Quinto Metello in the consulship of Quintus Hortensius and 
Quintus (Cecilius) Metellus ze, A.U.C, 
685, or B.C. 69, 
