154 A.D. You're a Batavian auxiliary soldier originally from modern Netherlands. You've just finished your eight-hour guard duty shift at 1400 hours, that is, 2:00 pm. The rest of the day and night are yours. You report back on guard duty the next day at 0600 hours. You struggle to control your shivering. You've stood on that miserable turf and wood wall for eight excruciating hours in freezing cold, winds, sleet rain, fortunately it didn't rain for all eight hours. Wearing double woolen cloaks didn't keep out all the cold and wet. You worry about getting sick from this hellish Scottish cold and wet weather, which seems to last all year except for one month of fair weather and two following months of decent warm weather. After being relieved, you hurry down the ladder and make haste to your contubernium quarters. It seems to take forever. Oh why, oh why are your contubernium squad quarters located so far away from your post? You finally arrive at your quarters, virtually throwing open the door into the outer room which houses the squad members' equipment and arms. Throwing off your wet cloaks, you hang them on wall wood pegs. Your simple bronze Coolus helmet and spatha sword hang on the next two wood pegs. Good fortune brought a new local commander who allows the guards to keep their armor back in the quarters since it is peacetime, relatively so, despite repeated incidents at the Antonine Wall. The native Caledonians and Picts were never happy from day one over the new northern wall cutting directly across their tribal lands. Increasingly the natives are demonstrating their displeasure with small raids, incursions, and incidents at the wall. Body armor has to be worn when venturing outside the wall or whether on training exercises. For now, the wall guards get a break. But everything else has to be worn: helmet, scutum shield, spatha or gladius sword, pugio dagger, and hasta spear. Woolen cloaks with hoods are worn all year. Even in the midst of summer it can be chilly at night with cool winds blowing off the Scottish highland glens and valleys. The outer room leads directly into the inner room, the walls lined with bunks for eight men. The bunk nearest the small fireplace is reserved for the decanus, the squad leader, usually the man with the most years of military service under his belt, making him the most experienced and thus qualified for the position of contubernium squad leader. Only two contubernium members are inside sitting on wood stools at the table in the room center. The others are either still out on guard duty, assigned to fatigue duties, or probably on their way back to the squad room. You and the two squad members greet each other perfunctorily. The two squad members go back to their conversation. You stand in front of the small hearth, still shaking, but completely glad of its warmth. Standing before the fireplace, you peel off your damp wool tunic and pantalone long wool pants, hanging the clothing on the wood post corner of your bunk. You quickly pull on your spare, dry wool tunic and pantalones. Strolling quickly out the door, you mutter loudly, "bathhouse". Your two comrades let out a quick acknowledgement. Grabbing the driest of your two cloaks, the inner one, you wrap it about your shoulders as you walk out the door. The only thing on your mind right now is getting warm again and that happens only at the bathhouse. After that a warm supper meal of wheat porridge, bread, hard cheese, a mug of malt beer, then some conversation and perhaps board games with some of the squad members then into a warm bunk bed before starting the routine over again in the morning.
Thanks Stephen! So fascinating!!
Aww thanks Ruth. Much appreciated 😊
Thank you for this tour! Very enlightening !
154 A.D. You're a Batavian auxiliary soldier originally from modern Netherlands. You've just finished your eight-hour guard duty shift at 1400 hours, that is, 2:00 pm. The rest of the day and night are yours. You report back on guard duty the next day at 0600 hours. You struggle to control your shivering. You've stood on that miserable turf and wood wall for eight excruciating hours in freezing cold, winds, sleet rain, fortunately it didn't rain for all eight hours. Wearing double woolen cloaks didn't keep out all the cold and wet. You worry about getting sick from this hellish Scottish cold and wet weather, which seems to last all year except for one month of fair weather and two following months of decent warm weather.
After being relieved, you hurry down the ladder and make haste to your contubernium quarters. It seems to take forever. Oh why, oh why are your contubernium squad quarters located so far away from your post? You finally arrive at your quarters, virtually throwing open the door into the outer room which houses the squad members' equipment and arms. Throwing off your wet cloaks, you hang them on wall wood pegs. Your simple bronze Coolus helmet and spatha sword hang on the next two wood pegs. Good fortune brought a new local commander who allows the guards to keep their armor back in the quarters since it is peacetime, relatively so, despite repeated incidents at the Antonine Wall. The native Caledonians and Picts were never happy from day one over the new northern wall cutting directly across their tribal lands. Increasingly the natives are demonstrating their displeasure with small raids, incursions, and incidents at the wall. Body armor has to be worn when venturing outside the wall or whether on training exercises. For now, the wall guards get a break. But everything else has to be worn: helmet, scutum shield, spatha or gladius sword, pugio dagger, and hasta spear. Woolen cloaks with hoods are worn all year. Even in the midst of summer it can be chilly at night with cool winds blowing off the Scottish highland glens and valleys.
The outer room leads directly into the inner room, the walls lined with bunks for eight men. The bunk nearest the small fireplace is reserved for the decanus, the squad leader, usually the man with the most years of military service under his belt, making him the most experienced and thus qualified for the position of contubernium squad leader.
Only two contubernium members are inside sitting on wood stools at the table in the room center. The others are either still out on guard duty, assigned to fatigue duties, or probably on their way back to the squad room. You and the two squad members greet each other perfunctorily. The two squad members go back to their conversation. You stand in front of the small hearth, still shaking, but completely glad of its warmth. Standing before the fireplace, you peel off your damp wool tunic and pantalone long wool pants, hanging the clothing on the wood post corner of your bunk. You quickly pull on your spare, dry wool tunic and pantalones. Strolling quickly out the door, you mutter loudly, "bathhouse". Your two comrades let out a quick acknowledgement. Grabbing the driest of your two cloaks, the inner one, you wrap it about your shoulders as you walk out the door. The only thing on your mind right now is getting warm again and that happens only at the bathhouse. After that a warm supper meal of wheat porridge, bread, hard cheese, a mug of malt beer, then some conversation and perhaps board games with some of the squad members then into a warm bunk bed before starting the routine over again in the morning.
You are correct about the hot/ cold bath. Sounds like it was heavenly but for men only right? Soldiers ? No women allowed.