Garrison of Jerusalem - AD30

[Matthew Amt]

Ave!<br>
Well, like so many subjects, there was probably a LOT of variation! Josephus recounts a huge riot starting because an auxiliary standing on duty on the portico roof above the Temple plaza turned around and mooned the crowd. Other troops seemed to be very happy to get orders to suppress riots, etc. Remember, this whole region is still very tribal and volatile today, back then it was perfectly normal to have civilian Greeks, Jews, Samaritans, Gallileans, etc. rioting against each other. Take the more aggressive members of your unemployed lower classes and give them weapons, and I think we can write off any sweetness and light...<br>
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My take on crucifiction duty is that the soldiers who got assigned to it were the ones who flunked out of latrine duty. They didn't want to be there any more than the slobs getting tacked up. (Well, maybe just a tad more!) Sure, you'd have the ocassional trooper who was thinking, "Poor blighter", but he can hardly pound the nails in more gently.<br>
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Official Roman policy was tolerance, yes, but getting that to trickle down to the guys in the ranks was probably a constant struggle, if the governor cared to try at all. Sounds pretty oppressive to me!<br>
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Vale,<br>
Matthew/Quintus <p></p><i></i>