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Abstract

The creation and cohesion of the Roman empire owed much to the spread of literacy through the provinces and the use of texts as an instrument of government. An important manifestation of this is the role of the written word in the Roman army, exemplified by the diplomas that granted Roman citizenship and other privileges to auxiliary soldiers on completion of their military service. Margaret Roxan, one of the Institute's honorary research fellows, has studied these diplomas for many years, and her achievement was honoured at an international conference in London in May 2002.

Keywords: Roman army,  Margaret Roxan 

How to Cite: Wilkes, J., (2001). The pen behind the sword: power, literacy and the Roman army. Archaeology International. 5, pp.32–35. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/ai.0510