Aims
Objectives
Lecture summary
Lecture structure
Sources
Further work

Aims
To establish some of the fundamental structural elements of the social status and background of soldiers
To expose students to a range of different types of texts which will allow them to reconstruct some of the social history of the Roman army
To introduce some theoretical ways of studying society and encourage the students to think about the fundamentals of social-relationship construction
To raise awareness of the issues surrounding Roman military history
To introduce some methodological problems in using papyrological material

Objectives
By the end of this sessions, students should be better able to

• examine and criticise some statistical information presented in tabular form
  
• understand some of the issues of Roman military historiography
  
• consider how social relations are formed
  
• show awareness of a range of papyrological sources and use those sources in constructing an argument
  
• consider and discuss contrasting assumptions about the structure of society

Lecture Summary
One of the major issues in the study of the Roman army in the last few years has been the issue of the interrelationship of the Roman military and civilian communities. In general. historians have tended to point to the abundant evidence of hostility between soldiers and civilians and see the soldiers either as an imposed and Roman elite, or, more normally, as a hostile imperialistic and ill-disciplined force which terrorised the local population. I have argued that the relationship is actually rather more complicated. With soldiers interacting with civilians at various levels, but to understand this, we need to go back to the basics of the soldier civilian relationship. Where did soldiers come from? What was their status? What privileges did they have? And then try to trace the workings of the relationship in the papyri. For this, we have abundant information, even if sometimes rather difficult to use. Once one sees the pattern of social relations, we have to interpret the information. Here, we need to understand one of the fundamentals of Egyptian society: that it is largely a face-to-face society, and what that means for the construction of social relations.

Lecture Structure
Problem:

• How did the Roman soldiers interact with local society?
  • Soldiers as an elite/soldiers as a foreign army
  • The hostility between soldier and local communities
  • Aspects of difference
    
• Where did the soldiers come from?
  • Geographical origins

1 All inscriptions which deal with III Cyrenaica and XXII Deiotariana have been dated to this period. It is unclear precisely when the legions left Egypt.
2. Other sources are CIL III 6598, 6599, 6602, 6603, 6606, 6607, 12059, 141383, AE (1986) No.700 and P.Mich. XII 637.
3. The figures in brackets are percentages of the total for that particular document.

Origins of Legionaries serving after c. AD 110¹

1. All references to II Traiana were dated to this period.

2. The other inscriptions used are CIL III 6593, 6596, 6611, 6592, 12056, 12057.

3. This inscription was republished in two parts. AE (1955) No. 238 contained only the introduction to the list.

4. Numbers in brackets refer to the percentage of recruits in the one document.

5. This figure includes one centurion.

How did soldiers join the army?

                Systems

                Regularities/irregularities

Soldiers in the army

Soldiers on discharge

                Legal privilege

                Financial status

                Differentiation from the mass

Structures of relationships

                Soldiers and marriage

                The formation of social relationships

                               Marriage

                               Friends and family

                               Power in Roman Egypt: Patronage and social relations

Conclusions

Sources

Extracts from BGU 696: RMR 64 AD 156: Pridianum of Coh. I Praetria Lusitania Equitata for the month of August, Slivanus and Augurinus, consuls, which is at the winter quarters at Contranospolis Magna in the Thebaid, from 8th July when Pontianus and Rufinus were consuls (131) prefect being M. Iulius M.f. Tribus Quir. Silvanus from Thubursica, who commenced service 9 days before the Kalends of May when Commodus and Lateranus were consuls (154) in place of Allus Pudentillus.

On the day before the Kalends of September

Total for the Kalends of January in 6 centuries and three turmae                                            505

Cavalry 114, camel riders 19 foot 363

And from the Kalends of January added to these are                                                                 1 centurion

promoted from civilian life by Sempronius Liberalis, prefect of Egypt, Silvanus and Augurinus consuls

Sextus Sempronius Candidus from 5 before Kalends Maias                                                   1 decurion

sent back from the Ala I Thracum Mauretania to an office in the cohort

Vibius and Varus consuls

Aulus Flavius Vespasianus from 6 before Nones of March

Recruits, voluntary, approved by Sempronius Liberalis prefect of Egypt                                 8

of whom 1 is cavalry and 1 camel-rider......

Received from the Leg. II Traiana Fortis, given from them by the same prefect of Egypt

in the century of Lappus, Condianus and Maximus Consuls

Valerius Tertius from 8th before the Kalends of April

in the century of Candidus, Torquatus and Iulianus consuls,

Horatius Hernnianus from 4th before the ides of November

Transferred from cohort I Flavia Cilicia...

P.Mich. VIII 468. II cent. AD. Karanis, Egypt. Extract. Claudius Terentianus to Claudius Tiberianus.. Moreover I ask and beg you, father, to reply to me immediately about your health and that you are well. I am worried about problems at home if you do not write back. And if the god should be willing, I hope to live frugally and be transferred to a cohort; but here nothing will be accomplished without money and letters of recommendation will have no value unless a man help himself...

PSI 1063 = RMR 74 AD 117:  Longinus Longus, signifer of the coh. I Lusitanorum, century of Tituleius, to Longinus Tituleius [    ] centurion. I have received from you 423 den. 20 ob. on deposit for the Asian recruits assigned to the century, twenty men. [Date]

Valerius Rufus, signifer of the coh. I Lusitanorum, century of Crescens, to Longinus Tituleius, centurion. I have received from you 232 den. 4 ob. on deposit for the Asian recruits assigned to the century, 17 men. [Date]

]ius Maximus, signifer of the coh. I Lusitanorum, century of Celer, to Longinus Tituleius, centurion of the same cohort. I have received from you 452 den. 2 ob. on deposit for the Asian recruits assigned to the century, 20 men. [Date]

C. Domitius Rufus, signifer of the coh. I Lusitanorum, century of Ta[      ], to Longinus Tituleius, centurion. I have received from you 316 den. 3 ob. on deposit for the Asian recruits assigned to the century, 22 men. [Date]

]rianus, signifer of the coh. I Lusitanorum, century of Argius, to Longinus Tituleius, centurion of the same cohort. I have received from you 316 den. 3 ob. on deposit for the Asian recruits assigned to the century, 24 men. [Date]

Quintus Herennius, signifer of the coh. I Lusitanorum, century of Longinus, to Longinus Tituleius, centurion. I have received from you 192 den. 20 ob. on deposit for the Asian recruits assigned to the century, 23 men. [Date]

BGU 628. When Manius Valens veteran [       ] read out part of the edict which is herein written. Imperator Caesar, son of a god, triumvir for the second time for the settlement of the state, declares: It seems to me that it must be proclaimed that all veterans be granted exemption from tribute[                               ] to give them, their parents and children, and their wives whom they have or shall have, exemption in all matters so that they shall be Roman citizens with the best legal right and privileges, they are to be exempt, free from military service, and excused from the performance of public services and also the above written are to have the right of entering their vote and being enrolled in the census in any tribe they wish, and to be enrolled in absentia, that will be granted to those who are entered above, the veterans themselves, their parents, wives and children and as I wish veterans to be exempt [...................], it is allowed that they may have, use, and enjoy whatever priesthoods, offices, awards, emoluments and benefits they possessed and they are not to be appointed to other magistracies or as an ambassador or superintendent or tax-farmer unwillingly moreover I have decided that no-one is to be billeted in their houses to lodge....

P.Oxy. LV 3798 (144) C. Veturius Gemellus and Lucius Veturia alias Thermutharion, both children of C. Veturius Gemellus, veteran whose name is engraved, in association with their deceased mother Artemis, daughter of Eudaemon son of Eudaemon, and of Thermoutharion who survives on the bronze stele at Rome...

P. Mich. VII 436 AD 138: Camerinus and Niger cos., at Pselchis in the winter quarters of the cohort mentioned above, year 22 of Caesar Trajan Hadrian Augustus and to be called Numis[    ] and to be witnessed by the Leges Aelia Sentia and Papia Poppaea which [     ] about children born, not have been possible to register on account of the difficulties of military service. Enacted in the above written Pselchis in the winter quarters of the above written cohort in the same consulship

P.Mich. III 203 AD 96-117: Saturnilus to Aphrodous, his mother, very many greetings. Before all things I pray that you are well and prosper. I wish you to know that I sent you three letters this month. I have received all the monthly allowance you sent to me by Julius and a basket of olives by the slave of Julius. I wish you to know that another male child has been born to me, whose name is Agathos Daimon, gods willing. If I find an opportunity of putting my plan into effect I am coming to you with letters. I wish you to know that it is now three months since I came to Pselchis and I have not yet found an opportunity to come to you. I was afraid to come just now since they say the prefect is on the road and he might take the letters from me and send me back to the standards, and I make the expense without result. But I wish you to know that if I do not come to you before another two months pass up to the month of Hathur, I have eighteen more months of sitting in garrison until I enter Pselchis again and come to you. All those who come to you will bear witness that I seek daily for a means to come to you. If you wish to see me a little, I wish it a lot, and I pray each day to the gods so that they may quickly send me the means. Everything is ready for the expedition but the chance but if I get the chance I am coming to you. Take care of my children’s pigs for me so that if my children come they may find them. At your next chance you would do well to send to Iulas son of Iulius whatever you can as a monthly allowance, and let him be as my son, as you love me, and I my children. If his brother is idle, send him to me quickly so that I might send my children and their mother to you. Send me an extra pot of olives for a friend of mine, do not do otherwise. You know that what you give to Iulius he brings to me, as he agreed with me. Write to me if you can. Greet Sokmenis and his children and [      ] and Sabinus and Thaisis and her children and siblings and Tabenka my sister and her husband and parents-in-law and Samba and Soueris and her children and Sambous and all her relatives and friends [by name]. Gemella greets you all, as do Didumarion and the newly born Agathos Daimon and Epiktetos. Greet Gemellos and [      ] wife[      ]lianus. And it is no great thing [                          ]. I pray all are well

(Date).

               To Karanis: to his mother Aphrodous, the daughter of [     ] from Saturnilus, soldier.

Gnomon of the Idios Logos (extracts) = Sel. Pap. II 206 = BGU V 1020: Of the gnomon which the divine Augustus set down for the management of the idios logos and  with the additions made it from time to time, either by the emperors or senate or the prefects of the idiologoi, I have appended for you a summary of the articles in current use, in order that applying your memory to the simplified form of exposition you may easily master the questions.

23 Romans are not permitted to marry their sisters or their aunts, but marriage with their brother’s daughters has been conceded.

34 Soldiers in service and after leaving service have been allowed to dispose of their property both by Roman and by Greek wills and to use what words they choose; but in every case they must leave it to homophuloi (those of the same tribe) and those to whom it is allowed.

35 Children and kinsmen of soldiers are permitted to inherit from them, if the claimants are of the same genos (type/group)

53 Egyptian women married to discharged soldiers are, if they formally style themselves Romans, subject to the article on non-conformity of status.

54 A discharged soldier’s daughter who became a Roman was not allowed by Ursus to inherit from her mother who was an Egyptian.

55 If an Egyptian serves in a legion without being detected, he returns after discharge to the Egyptian status.

56 Soldiers who have not received a legal discharge, if they style themselves Roman are fined one quarter of their property.

62 Soldiers are not held responsible if unregistered (in the census) but their wives and children are held to account.

BGU I 180 = Sel. Pap. II 285 AD 172: From Gaius Iulius Apolinarius  veteran farmer in the village of Karanis. It has been ruled, lord, that veterans have a five year period of repose after discharge. In spite of this regulation, I was molested two years after my discharge and arbitrarily nominated for a public duty (liturgy) and from then until now I have been on duty without break. Such a prolonged burden being universally forbidden in the case of the enchorioi (those living in the chora) , much more ought to be observed in the case of myself who have served such a long time in the army. Wherefore I have been compelled to have recourse to you with a righteous request, and I ask you to secure for me an equivalent period of repose in accordance with the decree on the subject, in order that I may attend to my property, being a single and elderly man, and I shall bless your fortune for ever. Farewell. (2nd hand) Caius Iulius Apolinarius signs. (3rd hand) [date]. (4th hand) Entrust your case to the strategos and he will deal with it.

Sel. Pap. II 254. (AD 153): The sealers state having sworn by the fortune of the emperor Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius that they give the following testimony in good faith. Being present in the village of Philadelphia in the Herakleides district of the Arsinoite nome, we in this way beheld Caius Maevius Apellas, veteran of ala Apriana, being flogged at the order of the strategos Hierax by two guards with rods and beaters. Wherefore we in good faith testify that we beheld him being beaten in the village of Philadelphia....

Further Work

Essay 6: Did the veterans and soldiers form an elite within Egypt?

Lecture: Living in a Roman Village: Karanis

Bibliography: The Roman Army

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