Definition: The Lyon Tablet (sometimes called the Lyons Tablet) refers to the bottom part of a broken two-column bronze tablet that was found in Lyon in 1528. The tablet is inscribed with the senate speech of Emperor Claudius in favor of admitting high ranking Gauls (primores Galliae) to membership in the Roman Senate. It was delivered in A.D. 48. The Roman historian Tacitus also has a version of the speech in Annals 11.23-4.
Claudius was born in Lyon, which was known to the Romans as Lugdunum, which was founded in 43 B.C., by L. Munatius Plancus. [See Latin Names for Places in France.] Although Gallia Narbonensis (Provence is now located in this ancient Roman province), had earlier received the privilege, Gallia Comata, where Lyon was located, had not before 48. [See the Perseus entry on Provincia for more information on the parts of Gaul.]
The Lyon Tablet is now in the Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon.
Read the speech: Ancient History Sourcebook: Claudius (b. 10 BCE, r. 41 CE - d.54 CE): A Discourse in the Senate, c. 48 CE
References:
- The Cambridge Ancient History: The High Empire, A.D. 70-192 By Alan K. Bowman, Peter Garnsey, Dominic Rathbone
- "The Lyons Tablet and Tacitean Hindsight."
M. T. Griffin
The Classical Quarterly, New Series, Vol. 32, No. 2 (1982), pp. 404-418 - "Southern Gaul in the Triumviral Period: A Critical Stage of Romanization."
Charles Ebel
The American Journal of Philology, Vol. 109, No. 4 (Winter, 1988), pp. 572-590 - Tacitus, by Ronald H. Martin
Also Known As: Tablet of Lyons, CIL xiii 1668
