Digital Maps of the Ancient World

Military Service

Delve into the intricacies of military service in the Roman army with our comprehensive reading list.

(c) Israel Museum, Jersusalem

Explore the various aspects of recruitment, training, organization, and daily life for soldiers serving in one of the most formidable military forces of the ancient world. From the experiences of legionaries and auxiliaries to the roles of officers and centurions, our selection of scholarship provides valuable insights into the hierarchical structure and operational dynamics of the Roman military machine. Delve into the rigorous training regimens, the challenges of combat on diverse battlefields, and the rewards and risks faced by those who dedicated their lives to the service of Rome. Whether you’re interested in the social and economic motivations behind enlistment, the mechanisms of promotion and advancement, or the personal stories of individuals who served in the legions, our reading list offers a comprehensive exploration of military life in the Roman Empire.

General

  • Davies, R.W., ‘The daily life of the Roman soldier under the principate’, ANRW II.1, 1974, 299–338 in Davies 1989, 33-68.
  • Phang, S.E., Roman Military Service. Ideologies of Discipline in the Late Republic and Early Principate, Cambridge, 2008.

Further Reading

  • Alston, R., ‘Roman military pay from Caesar to Diocletian’, JRS 84, 1994, 113-23.
  • Baker, P.A., ‘Medicine, culture and military identity’, in G. Fincham, G. Harrison, R. Holland &
  • L. Revell (ed.), TRAC 2000. Proceedings of the Tenth Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference, Oxford, 2001, 48-68.
  • Campbell, J.B., ‘The marriage of soldiers under the empire’, JRS 68, 1978, 153-66.
  • Cowan, R., Roman Guardsman 62 BC-AD 324, Osprey, 2014.
  • Davies, R.W., ‘Ratio and opinio in Roman military documents’, Historia 16, 1967, 115-18.
  • Davies, R.W., ‘Joining the Roman army’, Bonner Jahrbücher 169, 1969, 208-32 in Davies 1989, 2-30.
  • Davies, R.W., ‘The Roman military diet’, Britannia 2, 1971, 122-42 in Davies 1989, 187-206.
  • Gilliam, J.F., ‘Dura rosters and the constitutio Antoniniana’, Historia 14, 1965, 74-92.
  • Jackson, R., Doctors and Diseases in the Roman Empire, London, 1988, 112-37.
  • Phang, S.E., The Marriage of Roman Soldiers, 31BC – AD235. Law and Family in the Imperial Army, Leiden, 2001.
  • Roxan, M., ‘The distribution of Roman military diplomas’, Epigraphische Studien 12, 1981, 265-86.
  • Saller, R.P. and Shaw, B.D., ‘Tombstones and Roman family relations in the principate: civilians, soldiers and slaves’, JRS 74, 1984, 124-56.
  • Scheidel, W., ‘The demography of the Roman imperial army’, Measuring Sex, Age and Death in the Roman Empire. Explorations in Ancient Demography, JRA Supplementary Series 21, Ann Arbor, 1996, 93-138.
  • Smith 1958.
  • Speidel, M.A., ‘Roman army pay scales’, JRS 82, 1992, 87-106.
  • Speidel, M.P., ‘The soldiers’ servants’, Ancient Society 20, 1989, 239-47.
  • Watson 1969.

Blog at WordPress.com.