The Transformation of the Roman Auxiliary Soldier in Thought and Practice
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The Transformation of the Roman Auxiliary Soldier in Thought and Practice by Jonathan James McLaughlin A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Greek and Roman History) in the University of Michigan 2015 Doctoral Committee: Professor David S. Potter, Chair Associate Professor Ian S. Moyer Professor Raymond Van Dam Professor Arthur Mfw Verhoogt © Jonathan James McLaughlin 2015 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my mother, Kathleen Rose (Gilronan) McLaughlin (1955-2011), whose self-sacrifice, encouragement, and love inspired all those around her. ii Acknowledgements I would not have been able to complete this dissertation without the aid and support of many advisors, colleagues, and friends. As chair of this project, David Potter always expressed confidence in my ideas and my writing, while also providing expert scholarly and professional advice. Ray Van Dam urged me to carefully consider my assumptions as well as the structure of my argument. I enjoyed discussing theoretical issues with Ian Moyer, while Arthur Verhoogt rightly pushed me to consider context and case studies. Bruce Frier, Sara Forsdyke, and other faculty in the Department of Classical Studies and Department of History provided guidance, intellectual insight, and friendship. I learned that writing, in many ways, is a team effort. I cannot express enough gratitude to Leslie Pincus and my fellow history graduate student participants in the Department of History’s Dissertation Writing Seminar. Over two separate semesters the seminar provided the structure, feedback, and accountability I needed to craft two chapter drafts. Paul Barron and my fellow interdisciplinary graduate student participants in the Rackham/Sweetland Dissertation Writing Institute (spring semester 2013) provided a similarly supportive writing environment. The Dissertation Writing Institute gave me the space, the feedback, and the funding I needed to focus on drafting another chapter. Inspiration comes in many forms. My work on the Gabii Project in the summer of 2010, digging, washing pottery, scanning SU sheets, and updating databases in a nicely iii air-conditioned trailer, made me realize the joys and challenges of archaeological digs, as well as the immense importance of human choice and recording in shaping the archaeological record. A guided tour of the Bay of Naples by the Vergilian Society, under the expert leadership of Anne Haeckl and Christopher Gregg, made me think of cultural change in civilian Italy in relation to my focus on the military culture of the provinces. My work with the Graduate Employees’ Organization showed me the importance of institutions, institutional culture, and social power. Discussing a range of issues with graduate students from all across the university not only inspired me to work harder but also grounded my research in contemporary issues. Teaching under Ian, Ray, Deborah Pennell Ross, Mira Seo, and Donald Sells, and the quality interactions I had with numerous students in the classroom and office hours, helped me to clarify ideas, improve my arguments, and structure my time. In addition to my salary as a graduate student instructor, funding for the research and writing of this dissertation was provided by a Rackham Humanities Research Candidacy Fellowship, a Rackham One-Term Dissertation Fellowship, a stipend from the Rackham/Sweetland Dissertation Writing Institute, and fellowships and grants from the Interdepartmental Program in Greek and Roman History (especially the Frier Fund), the Department of Classical Studies (especially the Butler Fellowship), the Department of History (especially the Arthur E. R. Boak Fellowship), and Rackham Graduate School (including multiple Shapiro/Malik/Forrest Awards to help pay student loan debt). I’d like to especially acknowledge the friendship, insight, and advice of my fellow graduate students. My IPGRH cohort-mate Graham Claytor inspired me with his passion for research, especially reading papyri, and the long hours writing seminar papers and iv preparing for language exams always went smoother with his quick laugh and cold- brewed coffee. Classics cohort-mates Harriet Fertik, Clara Bosak-Schroeder, Ellen Cole, and Matthew Newman, as well as History cohort-mates Jonathan Farr, Amanda Hendrix- Komoto, and honorary cohort-member Jordan Komoto, and other friends in the broader graduate community made my time at Ann Arbor all the more pleasant. Thank you. My family always supported my decision to pursue higher education. My parents, Mark McLaughlin and the late Kathleen McLaughlin, and my brother Jason and my sister-in-law Marla cheered me on with love and understanding. My in-laws, Tom and Kristin Talarico, always offered encouragement. But most of all, my wife Tiggy provided me with all the love, critical acumen, motivation, and moral support I needed. Needless to say, any and all errors are my own. v Table of Contents Dedication ........................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iii List of Tables .................................................................................................................... viii List of Figures .................................................................................................................... ix List of Abbreviations........................................................................................................... x Abstract .............................................................................................................................. xi Chapter 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Soldiers of Ambiguity ............................................................................................. 1 1.2 A Brief Historiography on Auxiliaries .................................................................... 5 1.3 Communities of Soldiers ........................................................................................ 7 1.4 Forging Identities and Empire on the Frontiers .....................................................11 1.5 Evidence and Its Limitations ................................................................................ 16 1.6 Chapter Outline ..................................................................................................... 22 Chapter 2. The Image of the Soldier in Roman Thought & Practice ................................ 26 2.1 Introduction........................................................................................................... 26 2.2 Officers of Auxiliary Units: Status, Experience, & Education ............................. 31 2.3 The Roman Soldier and the Struggle between virtus and disciplina .................... 47 2.4 Valerius Maximus on Soldiers .............................................................................. 51 2.5 Velleius Paterculus on Soldiers ............................................................................. 60 2.6 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 72 Chapter 3. Martial Races? The “Barbarian” as Roman Soldier ........................................ 74 3.1 Introduction: The “Barbarian” in the Roman Imagination ................................... 74 3.2 Batavians: Loyal Germans? .................................................................................. 82 3.3 Thracians: Mountainmen and Bandits ................................................................ 102 3.4 Conclusion: Impact on Soldiers? .........................................................................112 Chapter 4. Living Like a Soldier: Transformation of Space ............................................114 4.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................114 4.2 Roman Military Space: Official “Strategies” of Spatial Meaning ...................... 120 4.3 Roman Military Space: Unofficial “Tactics” of Spatial Meaning ...................... 146 vi 4.4 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 176 Chapter 5. Acting Like a Soldier: Transformation of Practice ........................................ 179 5.1 Introduction......................................................................................................... 179 5.2 Gallic Auxiliaries in Alpes Maritimes in the Early First Century ...................... 186 5.3 Batavian Auxiliaries in Britain in the Late First and Early Second Centuries ... 197 5.4 Dacian Auxiliaries in the Eastern Desert of Egypt in the Second Century ........ 209 5.5 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 216 Chapter 6. Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 219 Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 225 vii List of Tables Table 1. Size of “domestic” space in auxiliary bases in the Western provinces in the first century CE .........................................................................................................