Roman
Scotland and the Roman occupation
The knock-on effect in Scotland of the centuries of Roman occupation in southern Britain was considerable, but the actual Roman presence in the north was fleeting. The first incursion came in the summer of AD 79 when the Roman governor Agricola led his army deep into Caledonia. The campaign which followed was recorded by his son-in-law, the historian Tacitus, and…
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Tota Italia IV
All Italy In 293 BC the Samnite League enforced a levy by means of lex sacrata: the lives of those men who ignored the summons, or later deserted, were forfeit to Jupiter. The Samnite army mustered at Aquilonia, the location of which is uncertain, but probably lay somewhere in the…
THE ROMAN ARMY’S DARKEST DAYS I
Augustus was so alarmed that for several consecutive months he did not cut his beard or hair, and sometimes he bashed his head in the corridors, crying out, ‘Quinctilius Varus – bring the legions back!’ Augustus reacts to the catastrophic news that three legions under the command of Varus had…
THE ROMAN ARMY’S DARKEST DAYS II
Spartacus’ rebellion had lasted three years by the time it finally came to an end. In 71 BC Marcus Licinius Crassus stood for one of the praetorships that year. No one else would stand for fear of the immense task ahead, but Crassus was extremely wealthy and even more ambitious.…
THE ROMAN ARMY’S DARKEST DAYS III
HOW TACFARINAS HUMILIATED ROME Tacfarinas was a Numidian Berber leader who had once fought for the Roman army as an auxiliary. He turned out, like Spartacus, to be one of many men trained in Roman military skills who subsequently became major threats. In 17, during the reign of Tiberius, he…
THE EMPEROR’S DIE-HARDS I
Publius Tutilius, son of Publius, of the Olufentina tribe and veteran aquilifer of Legio V, overseer of the veterans, was twice-rewarded by the emperor. He was born in and died in . For himself and for his son Publius Atecinx and his daughter Deminca, and for Andoblato and Gnata, son…
THE EMPEROR’S DIE-HARDS II
VETERANS IN THE CIVILIAN WORLD Veterans might return to their old homes, settle near the forts where they had served or move to a colony – unless of course they chose to re-enlist. For a state that had virtually no other means of asserting and exerting its power over the…