Voluntas militum : community, collective action, and popular power in the armies of the Middle Republic (300-100 BCE) / Dominic M. Machando.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Machado, Dominic M., author.

Series:

Colección Libera res publica ; no. 9.

Colección Libera Res Publica ; no. 9

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Soldiers--Rome--Social life and customs.

Soldiers.

Soldiers--Rome--Social conditions.

Rome--Army--Military life.

Rome.

Rome--History--Republic, 510-265 B.C.

Rome--History, Military--265-30 B.C.

Armed Forces--Military life.

Soldiers--Social conditions.

Soldiers--Social life and customs.

Rome (Empire).

Genre:

History.

Military history.

Physical Description:

342 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Edition:

1a edición.

Place of Publication:

Sevilla : Editorial Universidad de Sevilla ; Zaragoza : Prensas de la Universidad de Zaragoza, 2023.

Language Note:

Text in English.

Summary:

"Scholars, military men, and casual observers alike have devoted significant energy to understanding how the armies of the Roman Middle Republic (300-100 BCE) were able to function so effectively, examining their organization, hierarchy, recruitment, tactics, and ideology in close detail. But what about the concerns, interests, and goals of the soldiers who powered it? The present study argues that the military forces of the Middle Republic were not simply cogs in the Roman military machine, but rather dynamic and diverse social units that played a key role in shaping an ever-changing Mediterranean world. Indeed, the soldiers in the armies of this period not only developed connections with one another, but also formed bonds with non-military personnel who traveled with as well as inhabitants of the places where they campaigned. The connections soldiers developed while on campaign gave them significant power and agency as a group. Throughout the third and second centuries BCE, soldiers took collective actions, ranging from mutiny to defection to looting, to ensure that their economic, social, and political interests were advanced and protected. Recognizing the communities that Roman soldiers formed and the power that they exerted not only reframes our understanding of the Middle Republic and its armies, but fundamentally alters how we conceptualize the turbulent years of the Late Republic and the massive social, political, and military changes that followed." --Page [4] of cover.

Contents:

Acknowledgments

Chapter 0. Introduction

The Roman Army at Rhegium

A Social Historical Approach to the Armies of the Republic

Periodizing Roman Armies

Roman Military Forces in the Third and Second Centuries

Methodology, Sources, and Outline

Chapter 1. Middle Republican Armies as Communities

Introduction

Middle Republican Armies as Natural Communities

Middle Republican Armies as Ideological Communities

Communal Ideologies and the Republican Castra

Middle Republican Armies as Families

Conclusion

Chapter 2. Unit Identity

The Legionary Maniple as Community

Community and Identity among the Italian Allies

Auxiliary Service and Identity

Chapter 3. Connections Beyond the Castra

Movement, Mobility, and the Armies of the Middle Republic

Slaves, Traders, and Merchants

Prostitutes, Wives, and Businesswomen

Seers, Soothsayers, and Priests

Chapter 4. From Community to Collective Action

From Community to Collective Action

Empowering Collective Action

Imperium sine Imperatore

Potential Deterrents to Collective Action

The Frequency of Collective Action in the Middle Republic

Roman Armies and Popular Power

Chapter 5. Material Benefits and Economic Agency

The Economic Benefits of Warfare

Booty and Collective Action

The Stipendium, Rations, and the Second Punic War

Non-Military Personnel and the Economic Benefits of Military Association

Chapter 6. Status and Soldiering

Slavery, Military Service, and Status

Non-Roman Soldiers and the Pursuit of Honor

The Citizen-Soldier and the Reclamation of Honor

Chapter 7. Politics : Local and Global

Samnite Politics in the First Punic War

Recruiting Resistance

Playing Both Sides

Roman Absence; Non-Roman Agency

Making Connections; Shaping Politics

Chapter 8. Domestic Politics

The Political Powers of Middle Republican Armies

Providing Political Legitimacy

Soldiers and the Politics of Roman Military Policy

Chapter 9. Conclusion

Summary of Findings

Broader Implications

Possibilities for Future Research

Bibliography

List of Figures

Index of Names and Subjects.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9788413406381

8413406382

9788447224968

8447224961

OCLC:

1394003217