Reenactment of Roman Military & Christianity

[Restitvtvs]

This topic is close to my heart for several reasons.

I love G-d, family & friends, and others. Why? Many reasons, known & unknown to me. I like late Roman art, architecture, clothing, food, living history, reenactment, etc. Why? Ditto.

I have probably asked (and will continue asking) myself many of the same questions that millions of others did in the Roman Empire during the 1st through 5th centuries AD:

1.0) Do I join or not? (competing interests & limited resources)

2.0) If I join, then how far do I go? (many choices of who, what, when, where, why & how)

3.0) Why am I really serving?

4.0) Who am I really serving?

5.0) What will I do if I survive this XX-year long "career" & afterwards still have to work long & hard hours for the rest of my life to just barely get by at best?

6.0) What are the real long-term consequences of each & every one of my many choices? (This, that & the other, at the expense of ??? Direct & indirect affects on me, my family & friends, and all others?)

7.0) What is success?

8.0) What price success?

9.0) What really matters most?

10.0+) Etc., etc., etc.?


Onto reenactment more specifically...

How do I portray a 5th century Christian (of imperfect sorts as all) in the western Roman Army, stationed in Castra Regina, Raetia?

Not as difficult as it would be for portraying the 1st through early to mid 4th centuries, since I wouldn't have so many concerns about revealing my beliefs during the early 5th century.

My character has mixed Celtic, Germanic, and Roman blood (like RL me).

How do I think, feel & behave when on duty in the Castra? With illegal Germanic immigrants? Off duty, in civilian clothes at home, in the vicus/Castra, market, church, cemetery, on the road, etc.?

I've found enough general references for the Roman Republic through 2nd century Roman Empire.

However, so far, I have found no substantial references to develop my 5th century character, specifically for one in northern Raetia & Castra Regina.

I would greatly appreciate recommendations to help me develop my character. +r

[Mithras]

I think you are on safe grounds here! You and many of your fellows will be Christians, in name if not in daily worship. Some may practice their beliefs more strongly, particularly those recruits taken from the cities (where Christianity flourished at the expense of the paganos, dwellers in the countryside). What is more the German immigrants and even the Goths we fight will be Christian (although they are Arians, some doctrinal difference).

There is probably a chi-rho on your vexillum, and your commanding officer probably leads regular unit worship in front of the standards and images of the emperor.

You can be a proud Christian in the late 4th, early 5thC!

[caiusbeerquitius]

The Vita of St. Severin might be of great interest to you:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Severinus
Cheers! Christian

[Restitvtvs]

Paul: Thank you much for the nice summary. Unlike my 1st century character hock: , my 5th century character will certainly be much safer & easier to do.

Christian: Danke schön für die gute Auskunft mein Freund. +r

[Salvianus]

For C4th-5th, we have a lot of Christian symbols on the back of our shields as recognition devices as well as devotional images: not sure of the source for specifically Christian images, but you probably had to be ostensibly (& perhaps ostentatiously) Christian to get ahead in the army of that time.

[Robert Vermaat]

Have you reead about those vexillarii from the Ioviani and Herculiani who were martyred because they did not want to remove the labarum from their vexillum? Mid-4th c., I think it was.

[Mithras]

Labarum? That isn't the chi-rho monogram is it?

[Robert Vermaat]

Labarum? That isn't the chi-rho monogram is it?

Yes, it is.

[Robert Vermaat]

I found the article:

Woods, D (1995) Julian, Arbogastes, and the signa of the Ioviani and Herculiani. Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies 6: 61-68.

[Restitvtvs]

Paul & Robert: Good question & info. For the broader audience, general information is available at...

Nice Wikipedia "labarum" article: [url:26iocg8z]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labarum[/url]

Google "labarum" results: [url:26iocg8z]http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=labarum[/url]

Google Image "labarum" results: [url:26iocg8z]http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=labarum&sa=N&tab=wi[/url]

Unfortunately, most internet information is general, so I particulary appreciate detailed references that include locations, dates, applications, variation, related people & more significant events, etc. +r

[Salvianus]

Have you reead about those vexillarii from the Ioviani and Herculiani who were martyred because they did not want to remove the labarum from their vexillum? Mid-4th c., I think it was.

I haven't - would that be under Julian the Apostate? I'm not aware of specific executions under him.

[Restitvtvs]

Labarum? That isn't the chi-rho monogram is it?

Yes, it is.

An article that includes Chi Rho symbol evolution, 4th through 7th centuries:
http://www.gungywamp.com/stonewatch_winter_2003.html

[url:26vpqtdr]http://www.gungywamp.com/sw_winter_2003_image006.jpg[/url]

[Restitvtvs]

This partly answers my questions in my first post above...

John Cecil Cadoux , The Early Christian Attitude to War (1919)

Of course, this work is a bit dated, and much more is still unknown or poorly known. +r

[Commilito]

Christianity has many saints in the Roman Army as well.

random example off the top of my head: Saint Maurice, 3rd century. He was an Egyptian centurio whose unit was Christian, and he and his entire century were executed for it.

just to help you out.

[Hieronymus]

Some of the other Christian military saints (some confirmed, others not):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_saint (webpage links at the bottom of this webpage)

Most are 4th century and later.