Legion: Life in the Roman Army

Excellent exhibition at the British Museum looking at life in the Roman Army.

Don’t be put off by the early, obvious targeting at children, using the Horrible Histories rat. The show strikes a good balance between a clear and personal narrative, following the career of a real soldier, Claudius Terentianus, whose letters home survive, with fantastic and significant objects.

Inevitably it is the small, personal items which are most engaging and moving and I loved the use of tombstones as a way of telling some of the individual stories. I also liked the use throughout of images from Trajan’s column.

Favourite objects included the only surviving Roman long shield and a lovely tomb showing how they were used. I have to give a shout out for almost the last object in the show which was a hoard of coins, equivalent to the value of a soldiers pension, found in my home town of Didcot.

I was moved by the bell of a mule which would have carried the goods of a cohort who shared a tent. Its neck was broken by its harness as it tumbled into a ditch. The bell was stuffed with grass, dulling its chime to avoid alerting the enemy. The picture of a moment in time in one object.

Closes 23 June 2024


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