Paul Elliott - The Last Legionary: Life as a Roman Soldier in Britain AD400

The Last Legionary

Life as a Roman Soldier in Britain AD 400

LIFE AS A ROMAN SOLDIER IN BRITAIN
AD 400

Paul Elliott

First published 2007

This edition published 2011 by

Spellmount Publishers, an imprint of

The History Press Ltd

The Mill, Brimscombe Port

Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 2QG

www.thehistorypress.co.uk

This ebook edition first published in 2016

All rights reserved

Paul Elliott, 2007, 2011

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EPUB ISBN 978 0 7524 7466 3

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Paul Elliott has a degree in Ancient History and Archaeology. His interests include collecting Roman artefacts and he is closely involved with a number of international Late Roman re-enactment groups. Amongst his previous publications are, Warrior Cults, Brotherhoods of Fear, Assassin!, and Vietnam: Conflict and Controversy. He lives in Yorkshire.

My long fascination with Rome began at school under the tutelage of a welcoming, old-school Classics teacher. The syllabus focussed on the drama of the Second Triumvirate, but I believe it was the field trip to the fort at Vindolanda, south of Hadrians Wall, that actually caught my imagination. At that time the visible remains were concentrated around the village outside of the fort, and it was the daily lives of the civilian population that I could see in my minds eye. I marvelled at the road surface, the little aqueduct, the drain in the butchers shop, the inn with its open courtyard. I imagined the butcher washing blood into the drain, I imagined riders dismounting, breathlessly, from their horses in the yard, I imagined slaves skulking in the alleys, off to stoke the furnace for the inns one heated room.

That visit, twenty years ago, certainly inspired me to study Roman history at degree level, but it also inspired me to look at the little people, the common man Mr. Average. And the glory of Rome soon faded. I wanted to see the tarnish and the chaos, and my minds eye was drawn to the struggles of the common man in the desperate days of the third century, and again in the fourth.

My experiments in creating replica artefacts several years ago was an expression of my desire to get closer to the Roman people. They began with slings and slinging, but moved on to tunics and wax tablets. It was at that point I discovered that there were a number of living history organisations in Britain that had a huge amount of experience handling and manufacturing Roman artefacts. To two of these groups I am indebted; Cohors Quinta Gallorum (Quinta) based at the Arbeia Roman fort at South Shields, and Comitatus, based in the north of England.

Id especially like to thank the members of Comitatus, all of whom have been extremely patient with my constant questioning over the past three years! This group of re-enactors prides itself on a wholly authentic approach, an approach that I certainly feel at home with. Their clothing, furniture, weaponry and daily items are often made of authentic materials and reconstructed according to known Late Roman finds. By joining Comitatus I felt I was stepping as close to the material culture of Late Roman Britain as I was ever likely to get!

A great many people around the world have also given me assistance in trying to recreate the tiniest details of life for a Late Roman infantryman. I owe thanks to Florian Himmler for allowing me access to his thesis analysing wear and tear on Roman boots (prior to publication), as well as his experiences on board the Lusoria; to Aitor Irirate for discussions of shoes and tents; to D.B. Campbell and Graham Sumner; to Volker Bach for sharing his insights on Roman rations; to Robert Vermaat; and to Paul Carrick for sharing his knowledge of boot and shield manufacture.

Anton Powell (University of Wales) taught me the value of beginning any investigation in the presence of a reliable historical source, Dr. K. Gilliver (University of Cardiff) cautioned me on the use of Vegetius as a primary source, and Dr. Alison Griffith (University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand) helped me to solve a Mithraic puzzle. Kurt Hunter-Mann of the York Archaeological Trust generously gave up his time to talk me through the extant Roman finds in the Bridlington area, and to look into some of the questions I had related to crop marks and recent local finds. John Conyard has borne the brunt of many of my questions. Id like to thank him for being open and free with his knowledge of the period and with the difficult business of recreating life in the past. Our desire to experience the past is mutual. We marched together on several experimental Roman marches, in period clothing, eating period rations and we marched in step.

I am indebted to my wife, Christine, who first encouraged me to begin this project and who has been unflinching in her support of my work; and to my son Bradley, who took a number of photographs for the book and who tasted all of the Roman recipes.

Of course, none of those named above is responsible for the book that follows or the assumptions I have had to make, it is my work, and the story of Gaius that illuminates the text, is my story.