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Warriors of Rome: From soldiers to citizens in service of the Empire
Rome’s military is renowned as one of the finest fighting forces of the ancient world. But what was life really like for the individuals who became career soldiers, and how much do we know about the tools of their trade? Richard Abdy told Matthew Symonds about the people who fought for Rome.
Individuals drawn from many different places served in the ranks of Rome’s army. This tombstone commemorates one of them. It dates to AD 1-100 and is dedicated to Firmus Ecconis, an auxiliary infantryman. He is shown holding a spear and wearing his sword and dagger belts. Ecconis is flanked by his son and a slave. Image: © LVR-Landesmuseum Bonn
He was probably nearing retirement. The soldier was more than 40 years old when he found himself on a beach, caught up in an evacuation attempt. Assuming that he had enlisted around the age of 18, as was common, he would only have a year or two left before he was discharged after 25 or 26 years’ service. If the soldier was not yet a Roman
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