A day in the life of a Roman soldier

In the year 15 CE, the Roman Empire is doing very well. Most of the credit for this success goes to the emperor, but it wouldn't have been possible without loyal soldiers like Servius Felix. Servius joined the army eight years ago when he was 18 years old. He came from a poor family. Unlike most soldiers, he doesn't gamble, so he saved most of his pay. He also kept three gold coins he received when he joined, which he'll get back if he serves for 25 years. He has a girlfriend back home whom he wants to marry, but he has to wait until he finishes his 25 years of service, which is tough and dangerous.

Today, Servius and his legion are on a long march of about 36 kilometers with heavy armor and weapons. He's also carrying a backpack with food and tools. After his duty, he has to stay awake to guard the baggage animals and watch for any attacks. He's not looking forward to the next day, which brings back bad memories.

In the morning, Servius has breakfast with his tent companions, who are like a family to him. They all have scars from the battles they've fought together. Servius is from Italy, but his fellow soldiers come from all over the Roman Empire, which stretches from Syria to Spain. They're far from home in the northern land of Germania.

They are under the command of Emperor Tiberius's nephew Germanicus, and each legion has about 5,000 men. The soldiers are organized into smaller groups called cohorts and centuries, each led by a centurion. An eagle-bearer carries the legion's eagle standard. Despite the discipline, there's tension in the air because some legions in the area rebelled last year, demanding better pay and shorter service.

Today's march is relatively short, only 30 kilometers, but they have to build causeways and bridges in the marshes and forests of Germania. They spend more time building than fighting these days. Eventually, they arrive at a place Servius knows well, a clearing near the Teutoburg Forest, where six years ago, Germanic tribes ambushed and destroyed three Roman legions. It was a terrible defeat, and Servius was one of the few survivors. Now, the army is back to bury the dead soldiers with full military honors. Servius helps with this task, wondering if he's handling the bones of someone he knew.

He feels like weeping, but he continues. He doesn't care about the glory of the Empire; all he wants is to retire on a small farm with his girlfriend, if he can survive for 17 more years.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .