"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.
Table of Contents
a) a soldier’s identity under the consideration of the unit’s commander
b) the undoubted necessity of comradeship and the utilization of symbolic propaganda
c) a soldier’s identification with the social environment during and after a battle being far away from his original landscape
d) soldiers and commanding officers in times of death
Objectives and Themes
This essay investigates the correlation between the military community and the personal identity of soldiers in the ancient Roman army. It aims to determine how military leadership, comradeship, rewards, and the integration into local occupied environments shaped a soldier’s identification with their unit and the Roman state.
- The influence of military commanders on individual and collective identity
- The role of comradeship and social bonds within fighting units
- The impact of official and unofficial rewards on motivation and discipline
- The interplay between Roman military structures and local civilian societies
- Methodological perspectives including historiographical, anthropological, and biological analysis
Excerpt from the Book
a) a soldier’s identity under the consideration of the unit’s commander.
Being the most important figure on the battlefield an army’s general or rather a unit’s commander has been the most significant person to identify with over all periods of warfare. However, the highest-ranked soldiers were always directly linked to the tactics during a battle as well as the success of a single campaign. As a result, it was their main target to fulfil the Roman’s empire ideology of such a crusade firstly. Additionally, the commanders “(...) played a vital role in determining the success of [their armies]” to receive official rewards provided by the emperors of Rome. But – being even more significant – both an army’s general and a unit’s commander were substantially under pressure based on the level of motivation of their fighting troops. A huge amount of ancient sources highlight these ideas. Caesar i.e. mentions an incident naming the attack on a marching camp led by Cicero anno 53 B.C. to illustrate the value of a commander’s vital activity at any stage of a campaign. Tacitus offers such important influences vice versa.
Summary of Chapters
a) a soldier’s identity under the consideration of the unit’s commander: This section examines the pivotal role of military leadership and how the skills of a commander served as a primary focus for a soldier's identification and motivation on the battlefield.
b) the undoubted necessity of comradeship and the utilization of symbolic propaganda: This chapter analyzes how social bonds, bravery, and shared experiences within small units like the contubernium created strong collective identities that supported military goals.
c) a soldier’s identification with the social environment during and after a battle being far away from his original landscape: This part explores the integration of Roman soldiers into local administrations and how their interaction with civilian populations formed a complex social identity through "unofficial rewards" and district centurions.
d) soldiers and commanding officers in times of death: The final chapter reflects on how identity and honour were maintained even in the face of death, looking at historical and religious evidence of how soldiers and leaders were commemorated.
Keywords
Roman army, personal identity, military identification, comradeship, Roman colonization, military commanders, battlefield tactics, ancient warfare, soldiers, social status, rewards, decorations, historiography, Roman republic, unit cohesion
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper explores the relationship between the Roman military community and the personal identity of individual soldiers, analyzing how various factors fostered a sense of belonging and duty.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
Central themes include the impact of military leadership, the necessity of comradeship, the influence of rewards (both official and unofficial), and the soldiers' integration into local environments during colonization.
What is the primary research goal?
The aim is to identify why the status of the Roman state, the influence of generals, and specific reward systems acted as key factors in encouraging soldiers within the ancient Roman army.
Which scientific methods are applied in the study?
The study employs a multi-disciplinary approach, utilizing classical historiographic sources, ancient literature, sociological perspectives, and archaeological/biological data such as stable isotope analysis.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body investigates four specific areas: the influence of commanders, the necessity of comradeship, social integration in occupied territories, and the expression of identity in the context of death.
Which keywords best characterize the research?
Key terms include Roman army, identity, identification, military community, colonization, comradeship, rewards, and ancient warfare.
How did the concept of the "contubernium" affect soldiers?
The contubernium, a small group of soldiers who lived and ate together, significantly increased camaraderie and created strong personal bonds that enhanced unit loyalty and combat effectiveness.
What role did "unofficial rewards" play in Roman campaigns?
Unofficial rewards, such as plunder, captured equipment, and food from local agricultural environments, served as a common motivator for soldiers in addition to their official military pay.
How does the author define the "barbarization" of the Roman army?
The author refers to the process—noted by scholars like Sidebottom—where the number of non-Roman soldiers and foreign commanders in the army increased significantly, particularly from the 4th Century A.D. onwards.
What is the significance of the "non-bodied cult" mentioned?
It refers to the practice by leaders like Eumenes of Cardia to use the memory and perceived presence of a legendary figure, such as Alexander the Great, to inspire soldiers and solidify their own power.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Magister Artium Holger Skorupa (Autor:in), 2009, Roman military community and personal identity: an ambivalent intention?, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/265352
