'The good, the bad and the ugly': positive and negative behaviour of Roman soldiers

该项目考察了公元200年以来罗马士兵在战斗和战役中的行为公元前至公元14年，由于政治的变化，士兵和国家之间的关系发生了很大的变化，士兵变得更加“专业化”，对他们的要求也随着海外帝国的获得而不断发展。在考虑了在本报告所述期间发生重大变化的士兵招募和训练问题之后，该项目集中于军事行为的消极方面：士兵的行动和怯懦对失败的贡献，特别是百夫长和旗手等军官的作用，以及失败的责任分配；拒绝服从命令和更大规模的兵变，以及谋杀军官这通常与这些情况有关，但偶尔也会在其他情况下发生，比如当对指挥官失去信心时；对逃兵、投降士兵和战俘的态度和待遇。士兵行为的积极一面在个人和单位勇气以及这些行为的奖励部分进行了检查。结语部分考虑并质疑了古代和现代的理想，即严厉的纪律是罗马军事成功的主要原因之一

The project examines the behaviour of Roman soldiers in battle and on campaign from c.200 BC - AD 14, a period during which the relationship between soldiers and the state changed considerably as a result of political change, and as soldiers became more 'professionalised' and demands on them evolved with the acquisition of an overseas empire. After considering the recruitment of soldiers, an area which altered significantly during the period under consideration, and their training, the project concentrates on the negative side of military behaviour: the contribution of soldiers' actions and cowardice to defeat, particularly the role of officers such as centurions and standard-bearers, and the apportionment of blame in defeat; refusal to obey orders and wider-scale mutiny, and the murder of officers which is usually associated with these situations, but occasionally occurs at other times such as when confidence is lost in the commander; attitudes towards and the treatment of deserters, soldiers who surrendered, and prisoners of war. The positive side of soldiers' behaviour is then examined in a section on individual and unit courage, and the rewards for such actions. The concluding section considers and questions the ideal, both ancient and modern, of harsh discipline as one of the principal reasons for Roman military success