About this talk
How were wounded veterans viewed following their return from war in Roman Society? What is the relationship between being wounded and receiving societal praise? Alexander Moore considers the hierarchy of veterans and new recruits in Roman Society, and whether we can really claim that those who returns from battles wounded receive more praise and admiration from society than those new recruits. This talk also discusses whether the main historical views are accurate descriptions of the portrayal of these wounds at the time, or if stories of veterans showing off their honourable scars, is indeed just historical gossip. This talk may be particularly interesting for those considering studying Classics, History, Ancient History, English Literature or Politics.
Watch Alexander Moore’s intriguing talk by following the link below, as well as the links some further resources if you enjoyed this talk and want to learn more about this topic
Further Resources
Van Lommel’s article ‘Stoicism and War Wounds: Mucius Scaevola. Sergius Silus and Quintus Sertorius’ discusses how ancient authors took a stoic approach to discussion of war wounds in holding an indifferent attitude to battle wounds, and that this approach was powerful and influential in terms of moral attitudes for all aspects of life. You can access the article here:
If you want to challenge yourself with more academic articles, Van Lommel also wrote a similar article on how integrated wounded soldiers were in Roman society from the late Republic to the early Imperial era. You can access this article here.
Although soldiers may return from war and be praised for their wounds, the mental impact of war was still highly damaging. This article by Wayne Shipp discusses how soldiers in Ancient Rome and across the world dealt with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as well as how they actually viewed it as being about ghosts rather than mental health. You can find a link to the article by clicking here.
