Book contents
- Women and the Army in the Roman Empire
- Women and the Army in the Roman Empire
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Tables
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Maps
- 1 Present but not Accounted For
- 2 Approaches to Women and the Roman Army
- 3 Agrippina and Company
- 4 Elite Marriage and Adultery in the Camp
- 5 Mother Courage and Her Children
- 6 Investigating Roles for Women inside Roman Military Bases through Artifact Distribution
- 7 (In)Visible Women and Children
- 8 Soldiers’ Wives en Route in Roman Egypt
- 9 The Role of Women in the Religious Activities of Roman Military Communities
- 10 Mater Castrorum
- 11 Women and the Military in the Age of Justinian
- Index
- References
9 - The Role of Women in the Religious Activities of Roman Military Communities
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 October 2024
- Women and the Army in the Roman Empire
- Women and the Army in the Roman Empire
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Tables
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Maps
- 1 Present but not Accounted For
- 2 Approaches to Women and the Roman Army
- 3 Agrippina and Company
- 4 Elite Marriage and Adultery in the Camp
- 5 Mother Courage and Her Children
- 6 Investigating Roles for Women inside Roman Military Bases through Artifact Distribution
- 7 (In)Visible Women and Children
- 8 Soldiers’ Wives en Route in Roman Egypt
- 9 The Role of Women in the Religious Activities of Roman Military Communities
- 10 Mater Castrorum
- 11 Women and the Military in the Age of Justinian
- Index
- References
Summary
The role of women in the religious sphere of the military world has been underserved. This chapter turns to the epigraphic record to illuminate the role of women in military households and communities in both public and private contexts. Visual and epigraphic material is a rich source of information for our understanding of women’s roles in public military settings and private military households, and especially how women expressed religiosity on behalf of themselves, their soldier-husbands, and their households broadly. The evidence is not overwhelming, but there is enough to start building an image of the religious aspects of the lives of women associated with the army. With this aim in mind, this chapter illuminates the lives of women in military communities through the lens of religion as one aspect of daily life. By investigating precisely what women were doing in the military community, this contribution addresses the increasing trend to see the families of soldiers – whether living in the fort or extramural settlement – as a direct part of the military community, rather than a “civilian” counterpart that has often been discussed in pejorative terms or as an appendage population that is located there only by chance.
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- Women and the Army in the Roman Empire , pp. 240 - 269Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024