The Roman Army, 31 BC–AD 337: A Sourcebook

108 The Roman Army
177 D 49. 16. 3. 10; 15–16; 6. 3–6; 7
(Modestinus (3rd C.AD) Book IV On Punishments)
The soldier who flees to the enemy and then comes back, shall be
tortured and then condemmed to the wild beasts or the gallows,
although soldiers are not normally liable to either of these
punishments… (Sections 15–16) The soldier who in time of war does
anything forbidden by the commander or who does not carry out his
orders, is executed even if his action was successful. The man who
leaves the ranks will, according to the circumstances, be beaten with
rods or demoted to another branch of the service…
(Section 6. 3–6) (Menander (2nd C.AD) Book III On Military Matters)
The soldier who was the first to take flight in battle must be be executed
in full view of the soldiers as an example. Scouts, who have passed on
secret information to the enemy are traitors and are executed. Moreover,
a rank and file soldier who pretends to be ill through fear of the enemy,
is in the same situation… (Section 7) (Taruttienus Paternus (2nd C.AD)
Book II On Military Matters) Traitors and deserters are generally
tortured and executed after having been discharged. For they are
considered to be enemies not soldiers.
178 Tacitus, Annals 13. 35
But Corbulo had more trouble with the inefficiency of his soldiers than
with the duplicity of the enemy. His legions had been transferred from
Syria where they had grown lazy because of the long peace and could
scarcely cope with routine camp duties. It is reliably stated that there
were long-serving soldiers in that army who had never kept guard or
served as look-out, who found ramparts and ditches a novel and unusual
experience, who had no helmets or armour, who were sleek business
men spending their military service in towns… The entire army was
kept under canvas although the winter was so severe that the frozen
ground had to be dug up before tents could be pitched. Many soldiers
lost limbs through frostbite and others froze to death during guard
duty. One soldier was seen carrying a bundle of firewood with hands
frozen so stiff that they fell off his arms still fastened to their load.
Corbulo himself, in light clothing and bare-headed, appeared personally
with the troops as they marched and toiled, praising the enthusiastic,