Gladius

"In this general-interest book, historian Guy de la Bâedoyáere takes us into the day-to-day life of a soldier in the imperial Roman army. His compelling narrative draws on archaeological evidence and the words of Roman historians and of the soldiers themselves, especially through their religious dedications, tombstones, private letters, and graffiti. The result is a window on how the men, their wives, concubines, and children lived, whether in bleak frontier garrisons or guarding the emperor in Rome. Bâedoyáere explores the history of how common soldiers fought the emperors' wars; mutinied over pay; marched in triumph; threw their weight around in city streets; and eventually, if they survived, enjoyed the benefits of an honorable retirement"--