- Even auxiliary units, as you mention have similar titles to the actual legions. After all, these people are fighting together for a very long time. A certain permanence would eventually bear its wings in any military unit, so names were given to the auxiliaries as well. For instance, VII Claudia pia fidelis, or XI Claudia pia fidelis both were given names for their heroic acts in the late republic. (Loyal and true = pia fidelis.) For instance, Caesar’s tenth legion is described to have shown great bravery during the Gallic Wars, such as their decisive charge against the Nervii in their rear in support of Legio XII Victrix and VII Victrix, following the sight of the two aforementioned legions beginning to route. Caesar describes this in his commentaries of the Gallic War, when he says:
- “By their [the Tenth Legion] arrival, so great a change of matters was made, that our men, even those who had fallen down exhausted with wounds, leaned on their shields, and renewed the fight: then the camp-retainers, though unarmed, seeing the enemy completely dismayed, attacked [them though] armed; the horsemen too, that they might by their valor blot the disgrace of their flight, thrust themselves before the legionary soldiers in all parts of the battle. But the enemy, even in the last hope of safety, displayed such great courage, that when the foremost of them had fallen, the next stood upon them prostrate, and fought from their bodies; when these were overthrown, and their corpses heaped up together, those who survived cast their weapons against our men [thence], as from a mound, and returned our darts which had fallen short between [the armies]; so that it ought not to be concluded, that men of such great courage had injudiciously dared to pass a very broad river, ascend very high banks, and come up to a very disadvantageous place; since their greatness of spirit had rendered these actions easy, although in themselves very difficult.”
- Later in the life of Julius Caesar, this same legion was ordered to retreat at the battle of Dyrrhachium, and with their retreat, accidentally came other legions to retreat in kind. As this betrayed the courage shown by their legion previously, they demanded Caesar decimate them for cowardice. Although he refused, to keep the men’s morale from dropping due to disgracing their eagle, he demoted their standard bearers.
- Crowns of Gold
- [7:59 PM]With the names, come smaller individual units that would have the same form of pride as you ask. Some say that the smallest unit, the contubernium, even had small traditions to them, such as pack animals being deemed as mascots. Furthermore, during battle, soldiers would be given awards if they have fought ‘pluckily,’ such as battlement crowns, mural crowns, crowns of the preservers, naval crowns, and many more. Polybius says this pretty well in his histories, “After a battle in which some of them have distinguished themselves, the general calls an assembly of the troops, and bringing forward those whom he considers to have displayed conspicuous valour, first of all speaks in laudatory terms of the courageous deeds of each and of anything else in their previous conduct which deserves commendation”
- Further, the crown of the preserver was awarded to soldiers that saved the life of any citizen or any ally of the empire. Often, it’d be very highly regarded by civilians and soldiers alike, when he says: “The man thus preserved also reverences his preserver as a father through his life, and must treat him in every way like a parent. ”
- Esprit de Corps of Leadership Roles
- The structure used following the Marian reforms actually sheds some light on good points about how soldiers were encouraged to strive for leadership roles, such as the primus pilus, or first spear. The primus pilus would lead the first cohort, (an honor in it of itself to even be in the first cohort) and in turn, lead every other cohort. Once a soldier was promoted to primus pilus, a silver spear was given to them. (It looked awesome, from what many classical sources say.)
What was the esprit de corps like in the Roman Legion?
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