Caracalla's edict known as the Constitutio Antoniniana is preserved on a papyrus in Giessen, Germany. It was acquired in the early 20th century. The precise provenance of the papyrus, in Egypt, is unknown.
On the papyrus are several Greek texts, the Constitutio is on the much damaged top left part. The stylistic features of the writing on the papyrus suggest a date in the early third century. The original edict must have been in Latin. There is consensus that it was issued in 212 AD, perhaps on July 11 (it was known in Asia Minor in March 213).