Soldier and Society in Roman Egypt: A Social HistoryThe province of Egypt provides unique archaeological and documentary evidence for the study of the Roman army. In this fascinating social history Richard Alston examines the economic, cultural, social and legal aspects of a military career, illuminating the life and role of the individual soldier in the army. Soldier and Society in Roman Eygpt provides a complete reassessment of the impact of the Roman army on local societies, and convincingly challenges the orthodox picture. The soldiers are seen not as an isolated elite living in fear of the local populations, but as relatively well-integrated into local communities. The unsuspected scale of the army's involvement in these communities offers a new insight into both Roman rule in Egypt and Roman imperialism more generally. |
Contents
1 | |
THE ARMY AND THE PROVINCE | 13 |
RECRUITMENT AND VETERAN SETTLEMENT | 39 |
THE LEGAL STATUS OF SOLDIERS AND VETERANS | 53 |
THE ARMY IN ACTION | 69 |
THE ARMY AND THE ECONOMY | 102 |
KARANIS A VILLAGE IN EGYPT | 117 |
DIOCLETIAN AND AFTER | 143 |
CONCLUSION | 156 |
MILITARY UNITS | 163 |
THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE ARMY | 192 |
Notes | 208 |
241 | |
259 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Abinnaeus Alexandria Anthestius Antinoopolite Apollinarius appear archaeological archive arourai Arsinoite attested auxiliary units C/L XVI camp centurions citizenship civilian cohorts Date Origin Description decurion denarii Diocletian Diploma discharged Document Date Origin drachmae Eastern Desert economic Egyptian emperor evidence Excavations Fayum forces forts fourth century frontier garrison Gemellus Horion Hadrian imperial inscription involved Judaea Karanis Koptos land large number legion legionaries lulius Mons Claudianus Myos Hormos Nesos Nikopolis Nile nome number of troops officers organisation ostraka Oxyrhynchus P.Mich P.Oxy papyri papyrological period petitions political population prefect privileges probably problems province Pselchis receipt recruits revolt Roman army Roman citizens Roman Egypt Roman empire Roman military route second century settlement social society Soknopaiou Nesos stationed status Strabo strategos suggest Syene Talmis Dedication temple Terentianus texts third century Thracum Tiberianus Tombstone Trajan Upper Egypt Valerius VIII village Wadi XXII Deiotariana