Holidays

[Lost_Warrior]

Did the legions train on holidays? Were there certain festival days (Saturnalia for instance) when they did not train, or had lighter duties?

 

If they did not "have off" how did the recognize the holidays? Was there any special thing they did, or was it "just another day"?

[Melvadius]

Did the legions train on holidays? Were there certain festival days (Saturnalia for instance) when they did not train, or had lighter duties?

 

If they did not "have off" how did the recognize the holidays? Was there any special thing they did, or was it "just another day"?

 

As far as I know possibly the best example of information on Roman military observances comes from the Feriale Duranum which was a calendar of military observances found at Dura-Europas - although supported by fragments and similar references elsewhere.

 

Brian Campbell in The Roman Army 31BC - AD337: A Sourcebook quotes some of the text from Fink et al. 1940 with Fink, RMR 117, papyrus, Dura-Europas,c. AD 223-227.

 

 

The 1 January reference is missing but the 3 January text is quoted as follows [allowing for missing or abbreviated standard formulae]:

 

"[because] vows [are fulfilled and undertaken] both for the welfare of our lord Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander Augustus and for the eternity of the empire of the Roman people, [to Jupiter Best and Greatest an ox, to Queen Juno a cow, to Minerva a cow], [to Jupiter Victor] an ox, [to Juno Sospos (?) a cow _ _ _, to Father Mars a bull, to Mars the Victor] a bull, to Victoria a cow."

 

The calendar goes on to itemise a large number of the various celebrations held by the unit including indicating what sacrifices or other activities were carried out at which important events. The fact that it was found in the temple of Artemis Azzanathkona, which served as the archive office for the twentieth cohort of Palmmyrenes stationed at Dura-Europus and includes mention of military pay has been taken as evidence that it is a military calendar possibly based on an Augustan original format. As it makes no mention of local gods and is written in Latin this has been taken as additional evidence that it is a standard military document used by military units but possibly copied by some civilians all over the Empire.

 

Campbell states his belief that as many of the observences included a sacrifice that suggests that the soldiers could then enjoy a feast and a break from military duties.

Edited December 17, 2007 by Melvadius

[Nephele]

I found an article by Professor R.W. Davies titled "The Roman Military Diet" (published in Britannia, 1971, by the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies) which answers your question: "Was there any special thing [the legions] did, or was it 'just another day'?"

 

Davies wrote that, above and beyond the basic diet provided to the legions, "a greater variety of food was available and would be distributed on the special days of celebration in the military calendar; an extra deduction was made to cover the cost of the special camp dinners during the Saturnalia."

 

It hardly seems a holiday "gift" to the soldiers, though, as this extra deduction (called the saturnalicium kastrense) for these special camp dinners was taken out of the soldiers' pay.

 

-- Nephele