Play at being Romans. Game and War in the Roman World

Warriors@Play, 2022

Writing about games and soldiers may seem like a contradiction since in common perception these two categories appear to be diametrically opposed. However, bellum and ludus are two very osmotic domains, two sides of the same coin. 1 Often, men have faced war almost as if it was a game, as seen in the unforgettable and painful pages of Remarque's masterpiece All Quiet on the Western Front. 2 When World War I broke out, nationalist rhetoric added fuel to fire pushing many people to sign up and leave for the front under the illusion that it would be a quick and victorious field trip, quite literally child's play. On the other hand, and with decidedly less serious consequences, humankind has always tended to play games that are somehow similar to war (i.e. play fighting). These pastimes seem to have persisted unscathed throughout the profound cultural and technological changes characterizing the current historical moment. Tools have changed, but not the concept itself. Instead of toy soldiers made from different materials and of various types, one can now wield a controller to face opponents in one of the many war-themed videogames on the market. Whatever the case, discourses concerning war, even if relating to games, are still somewhat of a taboo in our society (especially in this period, when the clash of weapons can be heard again in Europe). Bellum (polemos) is regarded as one of the worst aspects of human society, and as such it must be spurned. Although we all reject war, scholars are interested in it as cultural production. Just like art, War is an expression of the society that developed it and can therefore provide a

Review article discussing: The Imperial Roman Army, by Y Le Bohec (1994); The Roman War Machine, by J Peddie (1994); The Roman Army at War, by A K Goldsworthy (1996).

Armstrong, J. and M.P. Fronda (eds.) Romans at War: Soldiers, Citizens, and Society in the Roman Republic. Routledge: London., 2019

This volume addresses the fundamental importance of the army, warfare, and military service to the development of both the Roman Republic and wider Italic society in the second half of the first millennium BC. It brings together emerging and established scholars in the area of Roman military studies to engage with subjects such as the relationship between warfare and economic and demographic regimes; the interplay of war, aristocratic politics, and state formation; and the complex role the military played in the integration of Italy. The book demonstrates the centrality of war to Rome's internal and external relationships during the Republic, as well as to the Romans' sense of identity and history. It also illustrates the changing scholarly view of warfare as a social and cultural construct in antiquity , and how much work remains to be done in what is often thought of as a "traditional" area of research. Romans at War will be of interest to students and scholars of the Roman army and ancient warfare, and of Roman society more broadly.

Armstrong's new book on warfare in early Rome (c. 570-338 bce) presents us with a much appreciated opportunity to revisit discussions on the significant impact of warfare on (early) Roman society. In six chronological chapters, Armstrong presents his thesis: Roman society from the 6 th to the 4 th centuries bce transformed from a coalition of warlords into a civic society with an army fighting for common goals. He rejects old hellenocentric models (esp. 10-11), instead relying heavily on van Wees highly revisionist 2004 book (Greek Warfare: Myth and Realities). A metanarrative approach is suggested (16), focusing on the big themes (17: a new paradigm).

2003

Politics and Religion in the Greco-Roman World, ELECTRUM vol. XXI, ed. E. Dąbrowa, Kraków, 2014

The success of Roman expansion in the Republican period and the durability of the empire, which survived the fall of the Republic and continued to function for the next few hundred years under the rule of emperors, drew the attention of both scholars and rulers in subsequent eras. The Imperium Romanum became a model for other states that attempted to build their own empires in later times. What draws our attention in discussions on Roman imperialism is mainly one, so far unresolved, dilemma: was Roman expansion a result of material and psychological benefits that individual social groups enjoyed as a result of the aggressive policy, or a product of the Roman society’s atavistic tendencies for using violence. Resolving this dilemma seems to be very difficult. If we also consider other elements that cause aggression, such as fright, fear (metus Gallicus, Punicus, Etruscus etc.) of something or someone and a desire to win fame or glory over an enemy, then solving the problem seems impossible indeed. Finding the right answer is not made any easier by the historical sources. On the one hand, they are very biased, as they hide the actual reasons under a thick layer of propaganda and apologetic slogans; so thick, in fact, that in many cases the Romans’ true motives seem incomprehensible. The majority of available accounts present the Romans as the defenders of the weak and the allies. This is a result of a strong propaganda rhetoric used by the Romans in order to justify themselves in the eyes of the contemporary and the posterity alike. We should also note one more element that could have had an influence on the development of an imperial mentality in Rome, i.e. the broadly defined civilisation and cultural milieu in which Rome was born – Italy. The cursory comparison of various Roman war rites with the rituals of other inhabitants of Italy indicates that war was very much a part of the mentality of Italic communities. The presence of war rites in Italic tribes indicates that in Italy, war was an important element of existence. Rome was an integral part of this world, which meant that the presence of a strong military component and aggressiveness in the life of the Roman community was natural.

London: Cassell, 2000. 224pp. $29.95. ISBN-13: 978-0304352654.