Zu den zeitlichen Unterschieden zwischen tribunicia potestas und Konsulatsdatum in den Bürgerrechtserlassen

Abstract

In some military diplomas, a discrepancy can be found between the year indicated by the tribunicia
potestas of the emperor and the consular date that appears in the text. Whereas in the past this
was seen as an error that occurred during the issuing of the constitutions or the engraving of the
diplomas, today we know that this is a consequence of the administrative process. The tribunicia
potestas indicates the moment at which an emperor issued a constitution, while the consulate date
fixes the day on which a constitution was published in Rome on a tabula aenea/aerea. Time passed
between the two acts. However, the number of tribunicia potestas in a constitution was not changed
even if it had increased by the time of publication.
In a small number of diplomas dated between 10 December and February, but in which the tribunicia
potestas is lost, the consequences of the administrative procedure were not taken into account
by various editors when reconstructing the tribunicia potestas. These cases will be analysed
and improved accordingly.

Keywords: Grant of the civitas Romana; diplomata militaria; administrative procedure; discrepancy in dating by tribunicia potestas and by consuls.