09-04-2006, 05:58 PM
Claudius Terentianus, a soldier of the 2nd C. AD.
We often talk specifically about individual items of equipment, or organisation, etc. However, we very rarely focus on an individual and try to analyse his experiences from correspondence.
During a lull in the day I went looking through Davies' Service in the Roman Army for something, but came across the above named. I then discovered more references to him on the internet, and most importantly his letters that have been discovered and translated.
There is one publication I know of discussing the same but I do not have access to it. But, I was wondering if instead of focusing on a broad spectrum which, to be honest, varies so much over time, we focus on one man and try to figure out from his letters clues to what life was really like for a soldier of that time. The beauty is that his letters seem to reveal much about daily life, service, recruitment, promotion, and a number of other things that we tend to generalise about, or get lost in other conversations.
As Davies says about him:
"[Terentianus] devoted the whole of his last remaining work to the prima militiae a recruit could expect, and held out the prospects that no civilian would dare to strike him but that he could beat up a civilian with impunity, he could avoid all the delays of the law courts, make a will while his father was still alive, and be a man of great wealth. Initiative and ability were quickly recognised and rewarded: Terentanius got his transfer [from the fleet], became a legionary, and on his discharge was referred to as 'a man of means'."
References on the web are:
WOMEN IN THE ROMAN WORLD; LECTURE 14. WOMEN IN EGYPT; SEMINAR 3 WOMEN IN PAPYRI
Private Letter, Early IInd cent. A.D.
P.Mich. VIII 468. II cent. AD. Karanis, Egypt. Extract.
Claudius Tiberianus
Anyway, I thought it might be a good idea.
We often talk specifically about individual items of equipment, or organisation, etc. However, we very rarely focus on an individual and try to analyse his experiences from correspondence.
During a lull in the day I went looking through Davies' Service in the Roman Army for something, but came across the above named. I then discovered more references to him on the internet, and most importantly his letters that have been discovered and translated.
There is one publication I know of discussing the same but I do not have access to it. But, I was wondering if instead of focusing on a broad spectrum which, to be honest, varies so much over time, we focus on one man and try to figure out from his letters clues to what life was really like for a soldier of that time. The beauty is that his letters seem to reveal much about daily life, service, recruitment, promotion, and a number of other things that we tend to generalise about, or get lost in other conversations.
As Davies says about him:
"[Terentianus] devoted the whole of his last remaining work to the prima militiae a recruit could expect, and held out the prospects that no civilian would dare to strike him but that he could beat up a civilian with impunity, he could avoid all the delays of the law courts, make a will while his father was still alive, and be a man of great wealth. Initiative and ability were quickly recognised and rewarded: Terentanius got his transfer [from the fleet], became a legionary, and on his discharge was referred to as 'a man of means'."
References on the web are:
WOMEN IN THE ROMAN WORLD; LECTURE 14. WOMEN IN EGYPT; SEMINAR 3 WOMEN IN PAPYRI
Private Letter, Early IInd cent. A.D.
P.Mich. VIII 468. II cent. AD. Karanis, Egypt. Extract.
Claudius Tiberianus
Anyway, I thought it might be a good idea.
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
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