Hundreds of engraved tablets have been found within the remains of the Roman fort of Vindolanda and its village, located on the border with Scotland, near Hadrian's Wall. Among commercial transactions, military information and personal letters, a very curious document was found: a dictation "test" of a schoolboy from the 1st, 2nd century AD.
The child had to write the verse number 473 of the ninth book of the Aeneid (“interea pavidam volitans pinnata per urbem”). On the tablet was found written: "INTEREA PAVIDAM VOLITANS PINNA TA P VBEM seg".
In the student's writing the R of URBEM has been omitted and the preposition PER may have been abbreviated to P. Then follow three or four letters written by another hand and in italics. Two are definitely "se" which can be followed by a "g". What could they mean? The hypothesis made by historians is that it is the adverb "signiter" (lazily): it would therefore be the comment of the teacher, who was not very satisfied with the student's work.
The nightmare of school test is an ancient thing!
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