6.1 Online Document Assignment 6: Bithus, a Soldier in the Roman Army: Army and Empire

Online Document Assignment 6

BITHUS, A SOLDIER IN THE ROMAN ARMY

Army and Empire

In a sense, the Roman army was the Roman Empire. Roman military might made Roman expansion possible. Even after expansion reached its limits, the army remained the most important expression of Roman power. The pax Romana (Roman peace)—the essential condition for the regional prosperity of the first and second centuries C.E.—required the existence of a force capable of keeping the peace. This capacity depended on more than large numbers of fighting men. Maintaining control of the empire required a force that was both mobile and dependable. To facilitate mobility, the Romans built roads that linked a vast network of forts, camps, and garrison towns. To ensure the dependability of troops stationed far from Rome, they employed a rigorous system of military training and discipline, which the Roman writer Vegetius described as nothing less than the sole cause of Roman greatness. Recognizing this reality, successful Roman emperors, from Augustus on, did everything they could to solidify the effectiveness and loyalty of the army.

Thus men like the Thracian Bithus (described in the “Individuals in Society” feature for this chapter) played an essential role in the imperial system. The fact that Roman elites chose to make military service one of the few paths to citizenship for provincials of humble origins is a testament to their recognition of the value of such service. As you explore this evidence relating to the Roman army, ask yourself what steps the Romans took to maintain their military dominance. How did they turn countless individuals like Bithus into the most powerful fighting machine the Mediterranean world had ever seen?

TO PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THIS DOCUMENT ASSIGNMENT:

  1. Question

    ADpIytwD9d32OUmCA/i2TCtFffYWbZWjhFc9KvSbhaFDBS9thkXBIC0AkGSqDNmjDQmPNr3zEKitDr+WxHHsIP7vFVT13a0SHEcDua219Apnk22R
  2. Question

    DESOCh8xIdPiTtd1AZpnECN70hYX+dWYyHcg4omvnthkTxjurG6H5sQOsu42DeB1ol4MWpCPTSqbZQh9Ka5iV/jlIWOqO0O6x68bcOUaYanvQZMPiMjcrPCco+6FynRDYtdSdF6yYENYRFXY