Roman Poems!

[Spedius]

Ave!
The Roman Centurion's Song!
I've served in Britain forty years. What should I do in Rome?
Here is my heart, my soul, my mind - the only life I know,

Thank you for sharing this poem. I had never read it before, but it is quite moving. It makes one wonder about the number of Roman soldiers who spent their entire lives in a single locale. And then, about those like the one in whose spirit this was penned, who were nearing their retirement and then were whisked away to distant lands... likely never to return...

Ave Robert,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.

I have to confess that, until recently, I hadn't read Kipling's poetry either. After receiving Robert's link I scoured the net searching for more examples for inclusion in this topic. Amongst others, which will be appearing here, I found this superb resource.

http://www.poetryloverspage.com/poets/k ... g_ind.html

Another of my interests lies in the study of Roman Military Diplomas. You will find several examples of my efforts to explain and understand them in another section of this Forum.

One of the spin-offs from this study are the regiments of auxilia who are stationed in the Provincial garrisons.

I have attached a pair for Mauretania Tingitana to illustrate and answer the question you've raised regarding long service in a single locale.

Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any further questions.

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo