(24) The Marriage of Roman Soldiers, 13 B.C. - A.D. 235. Law and Family in the Imperial Army (2001) Sara Elise Phang ISBN 90 04 12155 2. Order here.
In the first and second centuries A.D., Roman soldiers were forbidden legitimate marriage during service: nevertheless, many soldiers formed de facto marriages. This book examines the legal, social, and cultural aspects of the marriage prohibition and soldiers' families.
The first section covers the marriage prohibition in Roman literary and legal sources. The second section treats social and legal aspects of the soldiers' families, including a survey of epitaphs, the legal impact of the ban on families, and alternatives to family formation. The final section examines the marriage ban as military policy and its relation to Roman culture.
This book will be of interest to scholars of the Roman army, Roman social history, and family law. Students of gender and sexuality in the ancient world will also find it relevant.
'...this is a very well researched and thought-provoking study that contributes to our understanding of Roman family, law and military.'
Lisa A. Hughes, BMCR, 2002.
‘This book is an important contribution to our understanding both of the family lives of the ancient Romans and of the role of the army in Roman society.’
Jo-Ann Shelton, The Classical Outlook, 2002.
Sara Elise Phang, Ph.D. (2000) in Roman History, Columbia University holds a Mellon fellowship in Classics at the University of Southern California . Her first book is The Marriage of Roman Soldiers and she is currently working on a study of Roman military discipline.
REVIEWS
Bryn Mawr Classical Review
