How were soldiers assigned?

[bellatrix]

The current one is 'Garrison Life at Vindolanda' , Tempus Publishing, 2002 (reprint 2007)

Thanks Vindex! This is exactly the kind of information I'm looking for. I must be searching all the wrong resources because I haven't come across any good books on this topic yet. I'll be sure to check this out.

[Vindex]

Amazon are sure to have it if you don't have any good second hand book shops.

Or try this too - it is a Vindolanda tablet resource web site

http://vindolanda.csad.ox.ac.uk/

[bellatrix]

Amazon are sure to have it if you don't have any good second hand book shops.

Or try this too - it is a Vindolanda tablet resource web site

http://vindolanda.csad.ox.ac.uk/

Thanks so much for the information! I can see I'll be able to make quite a bit of progress on my research this weekend.

[Vindex]

My pleasure! You'll have a fascinating time!

[Epictetus]

Roman army seemed to have been reluctant to have unit serve in area it was recruited (at least during Principate etc.)

There is a memorable episode in the story The Golden Ass, or Metamorphosis, by Apuleius where the characters run into a legionary. The story takes place in Greece and the main characters only speak Greek while the legionary speaks Latin. There is a bit of problem with communication. Clearly the legionary had been recruited from a Latin-speaking area and then sent to the East.

[bellatrix]

Roman army seemed to have been reluctant to have unit serve in area it was recruited (at least during Principate etc.)

There is a memorable episode in the story The Golden Ass, or Metamorphosis, by Apuleius where the characters run into a legionary. The story takes place in Greece and the main characters only speak Greek while the legionary speaks Latin. There is a bit of problem with communication. Clearly the legionary had been recruited from a Latin-speaking area and then sent to the East.

I will have to read that story! One interesting thing I've read concerning legionaries is that the ones who knew Greek or other languages also ran a better chance of moving up in the legion. It was also a plus if a legionary knew how to write. But I am sure there must have been thousands of legionaries who only knew Latin or their native language. Language must not have been much of a consideration when deciding who would be stationed where. Thank you for the interesting take on this topic!

[Epictetus]

The Golden Ass is really a remarkable story. It seems to get a lot of attention because of the Cupid story-within-a-story or the bestiality ( hock: ), but it is an example of excellent story-telling. It is full of humour, twists and turns with an imaginative plot, little crisis that build tension, and finally has a magnificent climax. I was very impressed the first time I read it. I definitely recommend it.

[rgilbert]

To Bellatrix:

You might wish to periodically look at the ABEBooks web site - ABEbooks.com You can generally find most anything there, and if not this week, try again the next.

Which of the Vindolanda books would you best recommend?

[bellatrix]

To Bellatrix:

You might wish to periodically look at the ABEBooks web site - ABEbooks.com You can generally find most anything there, and if not this week, try again the next.

Which of the Vindolanda books would you best recommend?

Thank you for the web site suggestion! I accessed the site today and ordered V-Mail: Letters from the Romans at Vindolanda Fort. It sounds fascinating and when I've finished reading it I'll write a review in the References & Reviews thread.

Per Epictetus' suggestion above, I also plan to read The Golden Ass, but I can get that through my library.

[sacoharry]

Or try this too - it is a Vindolanda tablet resource web site
http://vindolanda.csad.ox.ac.uk/

It also now has a sister-site for the newer tablets that have been/are being deciphered:
[url:3kgytrwu]http://vto2.csad.ox.ac.uk/[/url].

And Garrison Life is an amazing book. If you have trouble finding it, there's almost always one available on ebay. Just type in Vindolanda as the keyword at the main page.

- Harry
www.wedigvindolanda.com

[bellatrix]

Or try this too - it is a Vindolanda tablet resource web site
http://vindolanda.csad.ox.ac.uk/

It also now has a sister-site for the newer tablets that have been/are being deciphered:
[url:2cybh01m]http://vto2.csad.ox.ac.uk/[/url].

And Garrison Life is an amazing book. If you have trouble finding it, there's almost always one available on ebay. Just type in Vindolanda as the keyword at the main page.

- Harry
http://www.wedigvindolanda.com

Harry and Vindex,

You've both been so helpful! This past weekend I researched the original Vindolanda tablet resource site. It is fascinating! It's good to know there's a sister site too.

I'm trying to get a copy of Garrison Life as well. Hopefully in the course of my research, I'll be able to find some helpful resources to share with other members of this board!