The Auxilia of the Roman Imperial ArmyCheesman, George Leonard
History
The Auxilia of the Roman Imperial Army
Cheesman, George Leonard
Rome -- Army; Rome -- Colonies
This tendency towards matrimony was naturally intensified by the
more settled life of the second-century auxiliary. The systematic
investigation of the cemetery attached to one of these permanent
garrisons reveals as orderly a family life as could be found in
any country town of the peaceful inland provinces. The following
inscriptions, which are drawn from different parts of the Empire, are
but few among many which might be advanced to support this contention.
xiii. 6270. From Borbetomagus in Germania Superior:
‘Faustinio Faustino Sennauci Florionis fil(io) mil(iti)
coh(ortis) I F(laviae) D(amascenorum), ped(iti) sing(ulari)
cos(consularis), Gemellinia Faustina mate(r) et Faustinia
Potentina sor(or) her(edes) secundum volumt(atem) testamenti
pos(uerunt). Vixit ann(is) [XX]V, decidit in flore iuvent(utis).
Faciendum curaverunt.’
iii. 10257. Teutoburgium in Pannonia Inferior:
‘M. Ulp(ius) Super dec(urio) alae Praetoriae c(ivium)
R(omanorum), ex s(ingulari) c(onsularis), ann(orum) XXXII,
stip(endiorum) XVI h(ic) s(itus) e(st). M. Ulp(ius) Similis
sesq(uiplicarius) alae I c(ivium) R(omanorum) frater, et Ulpia
Siscia soror, fratri pientissimo iuventutiq(ue) eius,’ &c.
iii. 10609. From Pannonia Inferior: exact provenance unknown:
‘D(is) [M(anibus)] Ael(io) Victorino ann(orum) XXX,
stip(endiorum) XIII, dupl(icario) al‹a›e I T(hracum)
v(eteranorum), et Ael(io) Liciniano an(norum) XII, filis
pient(issimis) Ael(ia) Flaviana infelic(issima) mat(er) et sibi
v(iva) p(osuit).’
_I. G. R. R._ i. 1350. From Talmis in Egypt:
τὸ προσκύνημα Γαίου Ἀ[ννέ]ου ἱπέως χώρτης αʹ Θηβ(αίων) ἱππικῆς
τύρμης Ὀππίου, καὶ Οὐαλερᾶτος ἰατροῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ Ἀρρίου
υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ Κασσία[ς], καὶ Οὐαλ[ερί]ας, καὶ Ἐπαφρῦτος [καὶ]
…ρᾶτος τοῦ ἵππου [αὐτοῦ].[369]
These examples alone show how far from reality are Seeck’s licentious
mercenaries and their neglected bastards. In fact the suggestion of
many critics that celibacy is a valuable military ideal, which was
attained, at any rate partially, until the relaxation of discipline by
Septimius Severus, proceeds upon false lines. In a short service army,
like those of modern European states, in which the whole time of the
men is necessarily occupied in learning their military duties, such
an ideal is practical enough. In the Roman Empire the adoption of a
professional army with a service of twenty-five years put it beyond the
power of any government to enforce such monastic conditions, and the
facts of the situation were, as we have seen, never misunderstood by
the imperial authorities.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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