Recently, I heard a lecture for adults on the Roman military. The speaker gave a lot of information that was new to me, but also gave me a better understanding of some of the people in the Bible and what their lives may have been like. While your students wouldn’t be interested in some of the minutia, some of the broader information can enhance their understanding of scripture. If your church is near a military base or you have students who are interested in soldiers and battles, the information is also a great way to get them curious about scripture.
To make it a bit easier for you, I’m bullet pointing the information I think would be most interesting to children and teens. I’ve also added scripture references to make it easier for you to have context and to know what Bible stories need the extra bit of information. If you want more detailed information, there are multiple references online.
- Caesar. In addition to being the ruler of the Roman Empire, Caesar also was considered the Commander in Chief of the Roman Army. Unlike the President of the United States, however, Caesars did sometimes actively participate in battles. (George Washington is the only sitting president to participate in a battle – The Whisky Rebellion.) Caesar is mentioned multiple times in the New Testament, but never in connection to fighting a war. The four Caesars who ruled during the time period of the New Testament were Augustus, Tiberius, Claudius and Nero. (John 19:12-15, Acts 17:7, Acts 25,27 and 28, Romans 13:1-7 and others)
- Pretorian Guard. This elite group of soldiers was created by Augustus and existed until Caligula. They were primarily charged with protecting Caesar, his family and his prisoners. They received higher pay than an average soldier and they had shorter periods of service. They are mentioned in Philippians 1:13 and scholars believe they are also the soldiers referred to in Acts 28:16 – primarily because Paul would have been considered a prisoner of Caesar at this point and as such, would have fallen under the protection of the Pretorian Guard.
- Roman Legionnaires. These were Roman soldiers who served for 25 years – which in the U.S. Army would be considered career military. They were paid better than “common” soldiers and were often based in Rome. They were not allowed to be legally married, but some Legionnaires (particularly Centurions) had what we now call common law marriages and children. This is the group in which the Centurions were military leaders. (Note: The demons in Mark 5:9 referred to themselves as Legion – “for we are many”. This was a nod to the Roman Legionnaires, although it is unclear as to whether or not this was also an indirect condemnation or critique of the Roman soldiers.)
- Centurion. You may have heard the Centurions led 100 men. This was not true in the time of Jesus. A Centurion led ten tents of soldiers. Each tent held eight men, making a total of eighty men they were leading. This is very similar to the size of a troop in the U.S. military, which makes a centurion similar to a U.S. military captain in the numbers of troops they managed. There were six centurion groups in a Cohort and ten Cohorts in a Legion. Centurions were known as being trustworthy, sensible, careful and to never retreat without direct orders. In spite of their courage, they were never allowed to be daredevils and put their troops at unnecessary risk. Centurions are mentioned in (some of these are the same story told in more than one Gospel) Matthew 8:5-9, Luke 7:2-8, Matthew 27:54, Mark 15:39, Luke 23:47, Mark 15:44-45, Acts 10:1-48, Acts 11:1-18, Acts 22:25-26, Acts 23:17-18, Acts 24:23 and Acts 27:1.
- Pilate. Pilate would have led the Prefect of soldiers based in Jerusalem, although he may have spent much of his time in Rome or other locations. He would probably have been in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion to monitor the situation during Passover to make sure there were no issues. He was also the Roman governor of Judea from 26-37 CE. Herod was king over Galilee and Peres, while Pilate was prefect over Judea and Samaria.
- Roman Auxiliary Soldiers. These were the “common” soldiers. They were often from border provinces (Iberian Peninsula, Macedonia, Croatia, Africa, Turkey, France, etc.) and were poorly paid. They had to use their own personal weapons in battle. A Prefect would have contained about 500 auxiliary soldiers and a Tribune led multiple Prefects. Pilate was considered a Prefect leader. Auxiliary soldiers often had special skills and served as clerks, craftsmen, engineers, medical corps, transportation, etc.
It is also important to note that Roman soldiers trained hard and often, daily. They used fake weapons of wicker and wood in drills, which helped them practice the various formations they used in battle. The average soldier carried about 90 pounds of gear, making the reluctance of the Jews to help carry their gear alluded to in Matthew 5:41-46 more understandable!
It may seem unnecessary to explain the different types of soldiers to your Bible students. For some, however, it will answer some unasked questions they have had. Other students may understand passages of scripture involving soldiers a bit better. A few students may be curious enough to look for other scriptures describing soldiers and battles. Regardless, taking a couple of extra minutes to explain the Roman military a bit better whenever teaching a story that includes a Roman soldier, is a good thing.