Roman Camps

[Epictetus]

How would they camp deep inside safe Roman territory? Would they still make a "proper" camp with ditches, simply find a place and bed down, or would they be housed with locals?

I'm thinking that, at least in urban areas, they billeted with locals. We have some extant complaints about this, and at least one Senate ruling making Senators themselves immune. Also, I swear I read a fascinating account of a homeowner who allowed a soldier into his house and then barred the doors. The soldier left some of his armour and weapons inside and then went back out in the street. The trick was that the homeowner had to let him back in to retrieve his gear, but when the door was opened the soldier brought all his buddies in, too. Of course, once they were inside the homeowner couldn't do anything about it. I think I read this in Mitchell's Anatolia, but now I can't find it.

Edit: Ah, here is some info from Nigel Pollard's Soldiers, cities and civilians in Roman Syria. It looks like billeting was compuslory for the locals to some extent, as well as providing goods in kind.

So perhaps proper marching camps were rare in safe areas.