Soldier and Society in Roman Egypt: A Social History

Review

by Philip Mathew
published on 28 May 2025

This is a highly recommended book for anyone who wants to learn more about Roman Egypt. It examines the role a Roman soldier played in Egypt from the reign of Augustus to Diocletian.

For many years, there have been many studies done on the Roman army. Many of the general studies have been popular, however, the more narrowly focused aspects of the Roman army have not gained as much attention. This book focuses on what it was like to be a soldier in Roman Egypt. Richard Alston, Professor of Roman History at the University of London, explores the cultural, economic, and legal aspects of a soldier’s life in this province. It gives readers a new insight into Roman Rule in Egypt after the time of the Pharaohs had long since passed. It is targeted at scholars and general readers alike.

This book is a good overview of the Roman army in Egypt from Augustus to Diocletian. In the first chapter, the author introduces the current state of the field. Roman military historians like Spiedel and Bierly have assumed the goals and ultimate role of militaries have been constant throughout history. Richard Alston criticizes this assertion and reminds us that we cannot assume that the Roman army behaved like modern armies. Alston seeks to identify “what the army was for, what the soldiers did, who the soldiers were and how the army related to the civilian population” (6). He argues that the Roman army in Egypt was organized similarly to other provinces. Furthermore, to a degree, every province had an exclusive cultural record. Chapters Two through Six examine aspects such as where the Roman legions were stationed in Egypt, how soldiers were recruited and how they retired, soldiers’ and veterans’ legal status in Roman Egypt, their daily activities, and how this impacted the Egyptian economy. Each chapter outlines the scholarship for these issues and how they can be improved. In the seventh chapter, Alston focuses on how soldiers interacted with civilians in the village of Karanis in the Fayum. He chose Fayum in northwestern Egypt because it was there that many veterans and soldiers settled. Generations of military families trace their ancestry there, too. Roman soldiers and veterans enjoyed a privileged lifestyle and belonged to the upper level of society. They interacted with the civilians and even married into their families. Alston concludes with the claim that the veterans stationed in Karanis were not the foremost in Romanization. However, it remained a relatively large village despite the minority of Romans.

Chapter Eight is brief and talks about the army reforms of Diocletian and the impact it had on the Roman army in Egypt. Chapter nine is a final chapter that summarizes Alston’s conclusions about Roman Egypt with how the army had an impact compared to other provinces such as Britain. He analyzes this from the evidence at the Vindolanda fort near Hadrian’s wall.

There are two detailed appendices, one offering a significant evaluation of the documentary evidence for each cohort and legion stationed in Egypt and the other reviewing the archaeological evidence for the Roman army stationed in Egypt. The illustrations of five forts in this section provide the reader with helpful visuals of Roman architecture.

This is a seminal work and is highly recommended. The conclusions in each section of the book vary depending on the available evidence. Military historians and general audiences alike will benefit from it. This book is different from other works on Roman Egypt because it focuses on the role of the Roman army in that time. Roman Egypt gives us insight into how the land of the Nile changed after the pharaohs, and this book is a perfect addition.

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