Roman military community and personal identity: an ambivalent intention?

The identification of soldiers in ancient Rome taking under specific consideration the imperial definition of the Roman army

Essay , 2009 , 25 Pages

World History - Early and Ancient History

"A la Guerre, les trois quarts sont des affaires morales, la balance des forces réalles n’est que pour un autre quart."
"(...) hostes vero notis omnibus vadis, ubi ex litore aliquos singulars ex navi egredientes conspexerant, incitatis equis impeditos adoriebantur, plures paucos circumsistebant, alii ab latere aperto in universos tela coniciebant. Quod cum animadvertisset Caesar, scaphas longarum navium, item speculatoria navigia militibus compleri iussit et, quos laborantes conspexerat, his subsidia submittebat. Nostri, simul in arido constiterunt, suis omnibus consecutis in hostes impetum fecerunt atque eos in fugam dederunt; neque longius prosequi potuerunt, quod equites cursum tenere atque insulam capere non potuerant. Hoc unum ad pristinam fortunam Caesari defuit."
While Napoleon stresses the morality of a soldier during and particularly after a battle, Caesar (emphasizing the landing of the Roman army in Britain 55 B.C.), on the other hand, underlines the necessity of a skilled and tactical well educated commander to reach an army’s main target – being successful in any campaign.
Both the army as a community and the soldier as an individual within the fighting unit have been heavily significant over all periods of battleship regarding a campaign’s success. Consequently, it seems to be important to investigate the level of identification of a warrior with the orders of the unit’s commander as well as the role of personal identity reflecting on the state that is fought for, and especially due to the comradeship in any army throughout military history. Highlighting the theory of identification, it might be also momentous to interpret the recognition of the fighting forces after a succeeded campaign and possible results like the existence of respect, honour, and an increased social status. The reflection of any of these influences on a soldier’s identity – thereby it is important to underscore the significant differences between ancient and modern types of identification with reference to morality and discipline in general - are elucidated by a large number of historiographic, philosophical, and ancient literary sources. Additionally, recent studies of historians, anthropologists, and sociologists underline the substance of soldiers’ identification in ancient Rome, either.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Roman military community and personal identity - an ambivalent intention?
• The identification of soldiers in ancient Rome taking under specific consideration the imperial definition of the Roman army.
• Introduction
• A short insight into the importance of the soldier himself due to his identification with both the ancient Roman state or rather its military commanders and the warrior's intention of being part of a battle group.
• The reflection of any of these influences on a soldier's identity - thereby it is important to underscore the significant differences between ancient and modern types of identification with reference to morality and discipline in general - are elucidated by a large number of historiographic, philosophical, and ancient literary sources.
• Additionally, recent studies of historians, anthropologists, and sociologists 10 underline the substance of soldiers' identification in ancient Rome, either. Unfortunately, scholarly examinations regarding the obvious correlation between the military community and the personal identity of a single soldier fighting for either the Roman empire, a unit's commander or being on the battlefield by just looking for rewards 11 are rare, although the number of - especially socially linked scrutinies has been increased since the early 1980s.
• The field of study being mostly reviewed is based on the parallels between the beginning of the colonization during the early and middle Roman republic and its impact on various ethnic groups underlining archetypal local societies.
• Other publications stress the ideas of legitimating an emperor's campaign or the utilization of the Roman army being the strongest instrumentaria to integrate political power.
• As a result, the importance of the soldier himself is often underestimated, although several ancient authors did recognize the connotation of the warrior to reach a crusade's aim.
• Apart from historiographic sources, ancient literature also provides some aspects of the identification of a soldier.
• Especially Virgil's Eclogue or Homer's Iliad and Odyssey seem to be substantial primary sources to elucidate the necessity of both an encouraged military unit relying on comradeship and military skills, and the significance of a buoyant soldier.
• Besides, archaeological materials like plans of towns (oppida) or guidelines of constructing a villa or else a garden also offer socially substantial regards of a Roman soldier in the empire's society.
• As biological and chemical research – especially with reference to stable isotope analysis of bone collagen 15 and dental microwear 16 – has been improved since the early 70s of 20th Century, even those possibilities of investigations supports conclusions reflecting on the classical period.
• By utilizing 5¹³ C and 15 N analysis 17, it is i.e. likely to rebuild feasting processes or dietary habits that might be useful to receive information regarding the healthcare of fighting units or the existence of celebrations after a succeeded campaign.
• Discussion: The differentiation between numerous types of identity due to the imperial definition of the ancient Roman army
• Highlighting the Roman troops by pointing out their general type of identity, there have been several controversial opinions between historians.
• Although, it is certainly undoubted that Roman soldiers were part of an imperial army, few scholars have suggested the idea of one personal identity distinctively linked to the empire.
• Hence, various sources – including letters written by soldiers being in charge all over the battlefields of the ancient Mediterranean area and northern Africa 20, textual evidence given by ancient authors 21, and archaeological materials like reliefs and inscriptions²² have created a more complex consensus of identities inside the Roman army as a community.
• The mentioned materials offer a huge variation of possibilities regarding the identification as well as the integration of soldiers with/in a society of the Roman Empire.
• Therefore, it seems to be necessary to differentiate between numerous types of identity due to the imperial definition of the ancient Roman army: firstly the relationship between the fighting unit and its commander, secondly the identification of a single soldier being part of the Roman troops far away from his geographical and cultural origins followed by the interactions inside the army as a community.
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper aims to provide insight into the significance of individual Roman soldiers and their identification with the Roman state, its military commanders, and the motivation to participate in battles. It explores the impact of such identification on ancient and modern societies through analysis of classical sources, including Caesar’s works, Tacitus’ writings, and historical accounts by Diodorus of Sicily. Additionally, the paper investigates the broader context by considering the intersections of historical, sociological, anthropological, and biological perspectives.

• The importance of individual soldiers in achieving military objectives
• The impact of identification with the Roman state and its commanders on soldiers' actions
• The role of personal identity in shaping the experience of a soldier
• The influence of ancient Roman sources and their relevance in understanding soldier identity
• The interdisciplinary nature of understanding soldier identity in ancient Rome

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• The introduction sets the stage by highlighting the importance of individual soldiers in achieving military success and emphasizing the complex nature of their identification with both the Roman state and their immediate fighting units.
• The paper delves into the historical and literary sources that provide insights into the motivations, identities, and experiences of Roman soldiers, highlighting the role of classical authors like Caesar, Tacitus, and Diodorus of Sicily.
• The discussion explores various types of identification within the Roman army, including the relationship between soldiers and their commanders, the sense of belonging to a larger community, and the impact of being stationed far from home.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The main keywords and focus topics include Roman military, soldier identity, identification with the state, military commanders, ancient sources, classical literature, historical analysis, sociological perspectives, anthropological research, biological evidence, imperial definition of the army, and the impact of social and cultural factors.

• College: The University of Liverpool
• Course: Research Skills - Identity
• Author: Magister Artium Holger Skorupa (Author)
• Publication Year: 2009
• Pages: 25
• Catalog Number: V265352
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656549475
• ISBN (Book): 9783656549116
• Language: English
• Tags: roman, rome