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Introduction to Legion: life in the Roman army
- sorokod 3y agoSome of the Roman legions were extremely long lived (Ship of Theseus and all - the military tend to nurture their histories)[1]. The X Fretensis, for example existed for more then 400 years [2]. [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_legions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_legions [2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legio_X_Fretensis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legio_X_Fretensis
- shaftoe444 3y agoJust as a fun comparison the oldest still existing regiment in the British Army is the Coldstream Guards, formed 1650. So not far off 400 years.
- hnbear 3y agoWikipedia says it’s the Royal Artillery Company from 1537. The Yeoman of the Guard is older, but not a full regiment. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honourable_Artillery_Company https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honourable_Artillery_Company Also, interesting or amusingly, the Coldstream Guards are the oldest regular army regiment, but originally it was raised by the roundheads in the civil war and fought the monarchy. Now it’s in the household division and used for royal protection.
- ttepasse 3y agoA touch more amusingly: In the order of precedence of the Foot Guards of the Household Division the Coldstream Guards are second after the Grenadier Guards. The latter's predecessor was founded in 1656 for the then still exiled Charles II. The Coldstream Guards motto is Nulli Secundus - Second to None.
- o11c 3y agoThe thing that irritates me most is the Roman legions are numbered, but not unique even when active for the same time periods.
- Boogie_Man 3y agoWork insanely hard from 20 to 45, retire with citizenship and land. 50% chance of survival. Seems like a very decent deal.
- polpenn 3y agoLife expectancy was probably in the late 30s to early 40s during this time so you’re basically working for the rest of your life.
- Boogie_Man 3y agoI can't find a good link, but I think that the average is dragged down significantly by infant death and that a life expectancy of 40 doesn't mean that you should expect to die at 40 if you've already made it to adulthood.
- pineaux 3y agoThis is a fable. Many people reached old age in the empire and even the middle ages. A low "Life expectancy" doesnt mean people didnt grow old. It just means that many people die prematurely of (now) preventable things. Death of the mother in childbirth ( 1 in 10) Death as a child because of unsafe surroundings Death as a child because of childlabour Death because of infectious wounds Death because of plagues and sickness Death because of random violence Death because of war Death by famine Death by accidents like fire in the house, occupational hazzard or hunting. Or the sinking of a ship. All these things lower Life expectancy. But with luck and a good physique many of them could be avoided.
- JeffSnazz 3y ago> This is a fable. No, it's a myth, or even better, a common misconception. A fable is a morality story.
- strken 3y agoIt's closer to a misleading truth or a fallacy. Life expectancy really was that low, but it was driven by child mortality, so knowing the mean life expectancy doesn't give an accurate picture of life expectancy upon joining the army in one's late teens.
- jimmyed 3y ago> Cavalrymen ... had the chance to participate in spectacular displays wearing special face-mask helmets, sometimes referred to as cavalry parade helmets. It must have been a good show [1], something for the bored young females of the town to gossip and fantasize about 1: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/242350023682857307/ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/242350023682857307/
- miachelbrown 3y ago[flagged]