History of Europe

How did you avoid being drafted into the legions in Ancient Rome?

The military success of Rome was due to the great work in the field of engineering, to the pacts, to the occasional betrayal... and, above all, to the legions. Although over time the legions underwent changes in relation to the number of members that formed them (between 4,000 and 6,000 and even incorporating horsemen), volunteering (in times of war it was mandatory to enlist) or the years of service of their members , the Roman legion it was the basic infantry military unit during the Republic and the Empire. Despite being "a risky profession", it should be remembered that life in the army guaranteed food, lodging and a salary that, although it was not to shoot rockets, had the advantage of being fixed. In addition, they had certain privileges in judicial proceedings, they could learn a trade, and even read and write, they had guaranteed medical care... and they received retirement.

But in order to be part of the legions of Rome, a series of minimum requirements had to be met:

  • Be a citizen of Rome. Supporting the legions were auxiliary troops, made up of soldiers without Roman citizenship, usually recruited from the provinces, or mercenaries recruited from across the borders.
  • The conscription age could vary, especially during the wars in which it was lowered, but it would be around 18 years old.
  • A minimum height of 1.65 meters.
  • Although legally unable to marry, in practice many soldiers had unofficially recognized wives and children.
  • The candidates had to undergo a medical examination to verify their good physical condition.

After being finally accepted, the recruits were sent to a camp for four months where they were placed in the hands of instructors in order to turn them into authentic legionnaires. And it was certainly not a pleasant experience…

But as has happened throughout history, some people had a bad idea of ​​enlisting and having to fight. So, they looked for tricks to not "meet the minimum enlistment requirements." As the first four requirements were very difficult to turn around, the efforts were focused on the physical issue... the thumbs were amputated so as not to be able to hold the sword and, in this way, be exempt from recruitment. In the time of Caesar Augustus, a wealthy citizen of Rome was found to have cut off the thumbs of his two sons and was sold into slavery. In 368, with Rome already very weakened and the barbarians knocking on doors, this occasional practice became common and the penalties had to be toughened, including being burned at the stake.

To leave the legions, alive and well, there were three procedures:as a result of illness or serious injuries that made the legionnaire useless (missio causaria ), for committing crimes that caused him to be dishonorably discharged ( missio ignominiosa ) and upon discharge upon completion of 25 years of service (mission honesta ).

The latter, about half of the enlisted, could go home with a pension, equivalent to twelve years' pay in the time of Caesar Augustus, or receive land in the settlements near their camp or in the region in which they lived. they had served. On many occasions, cities were founded to settle these retirees (emeritos ), such as Emérita Augusta, today Mérida, which was founded by Augustus when he discharged the veterans of the V and X legions after the Cantabrian wars. On other occasions, it was the legion camps themselves that formed stable population nuclei, as in the case of León, which was founded on the camp of the Legio VII.

Sources:Legions of Rome, Did Roman men dodge their military service?