This recent exhibition at the British Museum “Legion:

This recent exhibition at the British Museum “Legion: Life in the Roman army” explored the experiences of legionnaires and auxiliaries from across the Roman Empire and their families.  The exhibit details the life of Claudius Terentianus, an Egyptian enrolled in the Roman army who served under Emperors Trajan and Hadrian. Terentianus details his service from enlistment to retirement in letters to his family written on papyrus that have survived the centuries.  Through writings, weapons, armor, clothing, and tombstones, visitors also learn about the everyday life of other soldiers, from lowly auxiliaries to the high ranked centurions, who joined up, fought, played, loved and died.  The exhibit also highlights the role of women supporting the army and remarkable finds from Vindolanda, a Roman fort near Hadrian’s Wall where I had the pleasure of excavating for 7 seasons.  Here is only a small selection of outstanding pieces in the exhibit.