Chapter 3 showed that significant changes took place in the composition of ‘military’ finds from nonmilitary contexts in the eastern Rhine delta during the Roman period. The early material (c. 50 BC – AD 120) is characterised by relatively large quantities of helmets, armour and shields, all of them militaria associated with soldiers. Judging by the organisation of production and the imagery used, this was also the period in which weapons and horse gear were intended for military users.1 From the 2nd to the 5th centuries, specifically military items largely gave way to items that could have belonged to soldiers and non-soldiers alike.

The aim of this chapter is to present a model that explains the presence of predominantly early, military items in non-military contexts. Central to the model is the life cycle of a Roman soldier (fig. 5.1). By examining how weaponry and horse gear were used in the different stages of the cycle, we can identify the times during a soldier's life when his equipment could have ended up in non-military contexts. I will first discuss the key stages in the life of a Roman soldier, before going on to explore the question of ownership and the use of military equipment. By linking the kinds of use to specific stages in a soldier's life, we can distinguish between a period of military use by milites and one of ‘social use’ by veterani. Although the life-cycle model has been especially developed for finds from the research region, it has a more general validity for both legionary and auxiliary soldiers.

THE LIFE CYCLE OF A ROMAN SOLDIER

Using historical and epigraphic sources, it is possible to reconstruct the life cycle of males during the Roman period. Key stages connected with specific rites of passage include birth, reaching maturity, and death. For Roman soldiers, other significant stages are the beginning and end of their period of military service. Thus, in addition to birth and death, an epitaph from Lyons erected for the legionary veteran Vitalinius Felix emphasises entry into service and discharge as important moments in his life. And funerary inscriptions of Roman officers often refer to their military careers, with promotions marking the different stages for each individual soldier.