Deserters in Roman Army

[diegis]

I was wondering how often this happened and why? I know there can be various reasons but Dio Cassius considered this an important thing during Dacian wars.
For example at the end of the first Trajanic war, one of the main requests of the peace deal was that Decebalus to stop receiveing deserters from the Roman Army (a request that wasn't respected by the Dacians).

Is possible that Decebalus paid well (even better then the Roman army, so they decided to become a sort of mercenaries, or considered more adventurous a service in the Dacian army?), but still such deserters would have mostly been forced to live in Dacia (not sure how risky would have been for them to return in the Roman empire?).

Then they would have probably know as well that was very posible that at some point they will need to fight against their former comrades, the Roman army.
And some seem to be dead set on that, Decebalus send three of them in Trajan camp at the begining of the second Dacian war, with the mission to assassinate the emperor. They infiltrated there but unfortunately one of them raised suspicions, was captured and under torture he revelead the plan and the other two comrades there, so the whole plan failled.
However it seem that they really wished to do the job, which was cvasi-suicidal (so even if paid very well they have a huge chance to get killed as well so not sure if the money was worth), and just some good security made them to fail.
Or where they actually Dacians from Moesia, incorporated in Roman Army? Or some other nation (not Roman, but auxiliars) who had their own quarrels with the empire? What would have been the motivations of these deserters (not just those three)?

[JaM]

taking Roman deserters had one big benefit - those men knew what they can expect if they were captured by Romans... usually they fought fanatically to a last man.. There are plenty of examples of such things.. for example during Flamininus campaign in Greece, which was decided at Cynoscephalae, Flamininus tried to take Corinth, but was repelled due to fanatical defense by roman deserters and former Hanibal Italic allies who found refuge in the city after his departure from Italy.. One of the main conditions Flamininus had when peace was finally signed, was request to give up all Roman deserters.. you can guess their fate.

[Nathan Ross]

This is an interesting question. Were these deserters specifically legionaries, or could they have been auxiliaries? The latter might have had less loyalty to Rome, although legions by this date were recruited locally and many 'Roman' soldiers would be Moesian, Pannonian, perhaps even Dacian themselves, and may have had stronger ethnic ties across the Danube.

Either way, the Dacians would certainly have found them useful - legionaries in particular would have been trained in construction work and the use of artillery. No doubt they were paid well, perhaps as a sort of training cadre for the Dacian army and engineers.

The 'suicide assassins' are intriguing. What's the source for them? Is it in Dio?

[diegis]

This is an interesting question. Were these deserters specifically legionaries, or could they have been auxiliaries? The latter might have had less loyalty to Rome, although legions by this date were recruited locally and many 'Roman' soldiers would be Moesian, Pannonian, perhaps even Dacian themselves, and may have had stronger ethnic ties across the Danube.

Either way, the Dacians would certainly have found them useful - legionaries in particular would have been trained in construction work and the use of artillery. No doubt they were paid well, perhaps as a sort of training cadre for the Dacian army and engineers.

The 'suicide assassins' are intriguing. What's the source for them? Is it in Dio?

The source is Dio, yes (book 68 I think).
He said Decebalus had send some deserters to kill Trajan but eventually they failed (one raised suspicions, was arrested and under torture he revealed the others and the plot).
I put the "cvasi-suicide" mission as it was obviously extremly risky and I don't know how they planned to assassinate the emperor and then escape from his camp

[Nathan Ross]

Ah yes, Dio 68.11.3:

Though Decebalus was faring badly in open conflict, nevertheless by craft and deceit he almost compassed Trajan's death. He sent into Moesia some deserters to see if they could make away with him, inasmuch as the emperor was generally accessible and now, on account of the exigencies of warfare, admitted to a conference absolutely everyone who desired it. But they were not able to carry out this plan, since one of them was arrested on suspicion and under torture revealed the entire plot.

Hard to see how they thought they might get away with it really! But presumably they were either acting on promise of a substantial reward, or had some personal grudge against the emperor...

[Gunthamund Hasding]

The 'suicide assassins' are intriguing. What's the source for them? Is it in Dio?

well you can find it in Dio Book 68.11.3

Though Decebalus was faring badly in open conflict, nevertheless by craft and deceit he almost compassed Trajan's death. He sent into Moesia some deserters to see if they could make away with him, inasmuch as the emperor was generally accessible and now, on account of the exigencies of warfare, admitted to a conference absolutely everyone who desired it. But they were not able to carry out this plan, since one of them was arrested on suspicion and under torture revealed the entire plot.
translation from here:
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Ro...o/68*.html

actually I found that also intriguing there is a comment after the first Dacian war :
Book 68.9.6
and neither to give shelter to any of the deserters nor to employ any soldier from their empire; for he had been acquiring the largest and best part of his force by persuading men to come to him from Roman territory.
is definitely not clear what kind of men but probably deserters

[Alanus]

Razvan, thanks for this tidbit.
Very interesting that in both Dacian wars there were a number of deserters in Trajan's camp. I wonder, in general, was this common in other circumstances, other wars? Did Trajan have a discipline problem? I agree with you that a group of deserters had to be highly motivated to return to Trajan's legions in an attempted assassination. It must have been a suicidal mission, perhaps spurred by money promised to their families? :unsure:

[Thersites]

On desertion in the Roman Army (the first one deals with the Republic, and contains -almost- all you ever wanted to know about the subject).

WOLFF, C. (2009): Déserteurs et transfuges dans l'armée romaine à l´époque républicaine Storia politica costituzionale e militare del mondo antico, XXX, Naples, Jovene editore.

VALLEJO GIRVES, M. (1993): "Sobre la persecución y el castigo a los desertores en el ejército de Roma". Polis, 5, 241-251. Alcalá de Henares.
ALLEJO GIRVES, M. (1994): "Hi qui loco cesserant/ ali deserere proelium". III Congreso Peninsular de Historia Antigua. Preactas., I, 225-232. Vitoria.

[diegis]

Thank you to everyone for answers

And yes, I find this part from Dio Cassius pointed by Gelu very intriguing as well

Book 68.9.6

<< and neither to give shelter to any of the deserters nor to employ any soldier from their empire; for he had been acquiring the largest and best part of his force by persuading men to come to him from Roman territory. >>

If that is correct (even if I kinda doubt it and I think Dio possibly exaggerate) it means that Decebalus army had tens of thousands of Roman deserters (I don't know what the books mentioned by "thersites" say).

Few legions made up of former Roman soldiers and deserters basically joined the Dacian army and fought against Roman army of Trajan. This is quite intriguing and I don't know if a good pay and a nice life in Dacia (I doubt the deserters would have risked to go back in the empire, even if being more rich now) would have been enough for them to do that.

I think it was maybe something more that drive them to fight for Dacia and against Rome (including extremly risky, suicidal like missions as assassinating the emperor)