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

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7 The army in politics Ancient commentators, even well-connected senators like Tacitus and Dio, experienced in administration and government, tended to examine imperial politics in terms of events and personalities rather than by analysis of long-term trends or political institutions, and there is no adequate discussion of the role of the army in politics. It was of course difficult for historians living under an autocratic monarchy to discuss sensitive political issues which might constitute what Tacitus called the ‘secrets of ruling’, about which Sallustius Crispus, imperial confidant, advised Livia: ‘the accounts of empire will not add up unless the emperor is the only auditor’ (Annals, 1. 6). Augustus the military leader was the paymaster and benefactor of his troops, who were discreetly but effectively encouraged to identify with his family. But having acquired power and respectability, he intended that his political dependence on the army should never formally be recognized. In the Res Gestae there is no mention of this. Instead he chose to emphasize his accumulation of military honours as his armies defeated foreign peoples and fulfilled the imperial destiny of Rome. Although he was represented at times with the military attributes of a Roman imperator, he could not permanently assume the status and demeanour of a war lord. Augustus set a pattern for his successors by winning consent for his rule among the privileged classes through a display of traditional virtues in both the civil and military spheres, and by strictly controlling the army. Upper-class military commanders represented the point of contact between army and emperor, and would have been offended by signs of indiscipline and social upheaval. The soldiers, who in any case lacked serious political consciousness, were entitled to pay and other emoluments in return for their quiescence, and their loyalty was conspicuously rewarded at the accession of an emperor and at other times crucial to the dynasty.
182 The Roman Army The Roman emperor held his powers by virtue of a law on the vote of the people, though in practice a decree of the senate determined this. But that was a formality and the senate had no right to choose and make emperors. Nor had the army, which, along with the senate and people, was the other permanent institution in the Roman state. For the law made no mention of the emperor’s command of the army. Moreover, although the troops might be loyal to a dynasty there was no rule of dynastic succession, since at the start Augustus at least in public was not establishing a monarchy. An emperor emerged, therefore, through a number of factors—connection to the previous emperor by birth or adoption, the goodwill of senate and people, a demonstration of support by the praetorians under the direction of the influential praetorian prefects, and the acquiescence of governors and soldiers in the provinces. So, in certain circumstances the support of the praetorians or the legions could be decisive, and in a sense soldiers could informally ‘make’ an emperor. The events of AD 68/69 openly demonstrated the potential importance of provincial army commanders, but the practices and ambiguities of the Augustan principate worked well, and in the next 125 years there were only two attempts (by Saturninus in AD 89 and Avidius Cassius in AD 175) to follow this example. After the violent usurpation of power by Septimius Severus in AD 193, in a period of just over forty years, four emperors in succession met violent deaths, three of them as a result of military rebellion. The balance between the various roles that an emperor had to play had shifted. The army’s position in political life was increasingly important and also more visible; the soldiers now looked for greater financial rewards and were more insistent in opposition if they did not get what they wanted. The emperor, who had all the trappings of a commander-in-chief, was under increasing pressure to spend more time with his troops, and to show himself a good comrade and competent military leader, and indeed to assume the attitudes and demeanour of a war lord. Capacity to rule was dangerously associated with ability to control and direct an army. Maximinus, who overthrew Severus Alexander, became the first Roman emperor personally to fight in battle (Campbell 1984:365–414; the emperor as commanderin-chief—chapter 3). The following extracts, set out in chronological order by the period to which they refer, are intended to illustrate some of the ways in which ancient writers thought in general terms about the army and its developing role in politics, its part in the making and removing of emperors, and the dangers of civil war.
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The Roman Army, 31 BC-AD 337 The Ro
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First published 1994 by Routledge 1
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Contents List of plates ix List of
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Plates 1 Ti. Claudius Maximus 2 Cen
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Preface and acknowledgements The Ro
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Abbreviations AE L’Année épigra
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P. S. I. Pubblicazioni della societ
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Emperors from Augustus to Constanti
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denarius (‘ten as-piece’) = 4 s
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2 The Roman Army benefits are still
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4 The Roman Army military as well a
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6 The Roman Army The defeat of Cart
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8 The Roman Army who supplied caval
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10 The Roman Army career seemed mos
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12 The Roman Army in a recruit, you
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14 The Roman Army thanks to the lor
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16 The Roman Army should keep in st
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18 The Roman Army more impartial th
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20 The Roman Army speedily. The rem
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22 The Roman Army I paid monetary r
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24 The Roman Army hay 10 drachmas f
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26 The Roman Army I have received a
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28 The Roman Army from having more
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30 The Roman Army 34 Speidel 1980:7
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32 The Roman Army 40 ILS 2442, insc
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34 The Roman Army units were now be
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36 The Roman Army and I have alread
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38 The Roman Army heirs, set this u
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40 The Roman Army 63 CIL 6. 2725=IL
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42 The Roman Army principalis, acti
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44 The Roman Army 77 CIL 6. 2896=IL
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2 The officers CENTURIONS Centurion
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48 The Roman Army The emperor was u
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50 The Roman Army to Numidia, and f
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52 The Roman Army of Legion III Aug
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54 The Roman Army tribune of the fi
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56 The Roman Army Aurelius Harpocra
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58 The Roman Army Cornelius Minicia
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60 The Roman Army officer for Egypt
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62 The Roman Army Furthermore, an e
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64 The Roman Army probably formed d
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66 The Roman Army Moesia, legate of
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3 The Emperor as commander-in-chief
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70 The Roman Army to restrain thems
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72 The Roman Army 127 Josephus (1st
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74 The Roman Army Cornelius Fronto
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76 The Roman Army his tribunician p
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78 The Roman Army Lucius, in the si
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1 Ti. Claudius Maximus Source: Kava
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3 Trajan as commander-in-chief Sour
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8 The Roman siege ramp at Masada Ph
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11 The Mithraeum at Carrawburgh on
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14 Bronze diploma—exterior faces
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18 Bronze diploma—exterior face w
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80 The Roman Army Figure 1 Legionar
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82 The Roman Army fighting at the c
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84 The Roman Army the other legions
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Figure 3 The disposition of the leg
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88 The Roman Army outside the fort
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90 The Roman Army advisers, will ha
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92 The Roman Army guards and mounte
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94 The Roman Army period of imperia
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96 The Roman Army being able to str
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98 The Roman Army (Section 16) The
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100 The Roman Army against archers,
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102 The Roman Army (see Plate 8), t
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104 The Roman Army the cohort menti
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106 The Roman Army the wishes of Em
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108 The Roman Army 177 D 49. 16. 3.
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5 The army in peacetime MILITARY LI
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112 The Roman Army do whatever may
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114 The Roman Army This is probably
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116 The Roman Army For the date and
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118 The Roman Army Thiadices, who s
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120 The Roman Army 190 P. Dura 60B,
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122 The Roman Army of that communit
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124 The Roman Army identified as br
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126 The Roman Army The town of Sald
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128 The Roman Army for the eternity
Page 163 and 164: 130 The Roman Army [7] September [
Page 165 and 166: 132 The Roman Army Although Tertull
Page 167 and 168: 134 The Roman Army 220 CIL 3. 11082
Page 169 and 170: 136 The Roman Army Cocidius was a C
Page 171 and 172: 138 The Roman Army the names of Get
Page 173 and 174: 6 The army, the local community, an
Page 175 and 176: 142 The Roman Army informal adminis
Page 177 and 178: 144 The Roman Army either military
Page 179 and 180: 146 The Roman Army Two legions were
Page 181 and 182: 148 The Roman Army the Medes, in th
Page 183 and 184: 150 The Roman Army [ _ _ _ ] Centur
Page 185 and 186: 152 The Roman Army provision for th
Page 187 and 188: 154 The Roman Army Longinia, had be
Page 189 and 190: 156 The Roman Army opinion I gave y
Page 191 and 192: 158 The Roman Army property in acco
Page 193 and 194: 160 The Roman Army the will. His so
Page 195 and 196: 162 The Roman Army did make his wil
Page 197 and 198: 164 The Roman Army In Roman law eve
Page 199 and 200: 166 The Roman Army from home. Soldi
Page 201 and 202: 168 The Roman Army 277 CJ 12. 33(34
Page 203 and 204: 170 The Roman Army Published on 15
Page 205 and 206: 172 The Roman Army solution, becaus
Page 207 and 208: 174 The Roman Army ask that you sho
Page 209 and 210: 176 The Roman Army The reference to
Page 211 and 212: 178 The Roman Army with his own edi
Page 213: 180 The Roman Army of passing trave
Page 217 and 218: 184 The Roman Army foreseen. Or was
Page 219 and 220: 186 The Roman Army the undivided su
Page 221 and 222: 188 The Roman Army name a figure of
Page 223 and 224: 190 The Roman Army disgraceful and
Page 225 and 226: 192 The Roman Army only explicit re
Page 227 and 228: 194 The Roman Army Rome) even thoug
Page 229 and 230: 196 The Roman Army grandson of Germ
Page 231 and 232: 198 The Roman Army and (13) first T
Page 233 and 234: 200 The Roman Army the fatherland,
Page 235 and 236: 202 The Roman Army from your affirm
Page 237 and 238: 204 The Roman Army honourably disch
Page 239 and 240: 206 The Roman Army 337 FIRA 3. 171=
Page 241 and 242: 208 The Roman Army (Fourth hand) (S
Page 243 and 244: 210 The Roman Army service in the c
Page 245 and 246: 212 The Roman Army colonies, or del
Page 247 and 248: 214 The Roman Army Augustus himself
Page 249 and 250: 216 The Roman Army 349 CIL 16. 13=M
Page 251 and 252: 218 The Roman Army main roads did n
Page 253 and 254: 220 The Roman Army 357 ILS 9085, in
Page 255 and 256: 222 The Roman Army and Vergil in Ec
Page 257 and 258: 224 The Roman Army you who are aliv
Page 259 and 260: 226 The Roman Army 367 AE 1974. 283
Page 261 and 262: 228 The Roman Army 374 ILS 9400, in
Page 263 and 264: 230 The Roman Army considerable pro
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232 The Roman Army military organiz
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234 The Roman Army recruitment and
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236 The Roman Army Domitius Aurelia
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238 The Roman Army on the emperor (
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240 The Roman Army This rescript is
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242 The Roman Army peaceful repose
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244 The Roman Army in respect of on
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246 The Roman Army the soldiers, an
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248 The Roman Army (Alexander) gave
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Select bibliography Alföldy, G.. (
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252 Select bibliography Duncan-Jone
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254 Select bibliography Marsden, E.
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Index of translated passages LITERA
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258 Index of translated passages 24
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Index of names and subjects Promine
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266 Index of names and subjects Ces
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268 Index of names and subjects Gro
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270 Index of names and subjects Pat
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272 Index of names and subjects Vel
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The Roman Army, 31 BC–AD 337: A Sourcebook

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