Land and Military in the Roman Empire

[Aldarion]

Land and Military in the Roman Empire

It is often assumed that thematic system of military lands was a wholly novel measure, and that later pronoia grants were significantly different from previous stratioka ktemata. Yet neither assump…

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It is often assumed that thematic system of military lands was a wholly novel measure, and that later pronoia grants were significantly different from previous stratioka ktemata. Yet neither assumption is likely to be true, even if there is no direct evolutionary line leading from prata legionis to stratiotika ktemata and pronoia. This will only cover the first part of the question.

 

[ThinkerX]

In my fictional quasi-late Roman empire of Solaria, the deal between the state and the soldiers was simple:

20 years of military service got the soldier a plot of land and full citizenship for himself and his immediate family, including brothers, sisters, and offspring. Regions so settled were considered military provinces under the direct control of the emperor.

At the Traag War's conclusion - which dragged on for twenty-five years and saw most of a million men under arms, the emperor granted soldiers land and citizenship to all veterans regardless of years spent under arms because the treasury was empty. This increased the size of the middle class by a factor of ten overnight, causing severe social problems.

The land awarded to soldiers was usually in newly conquered regions and was usually inferior to those claimed by the aristocracy. 'Immunes' - usually though not always artisan-soldiers - were sometimes awarded with vacant shops in settled territories. Those from military families - those who already had citizenship - would be given the option of lands close to their families if possible.