In the imperial legions this took on a quasi-religious element which is perhaps unique even within paganism. The Standards of the LegionĪrmies throughout history have found it vital to promote an esprit de corps, a sense of pride and belonging to one's unit. To find out more about the rise of Christianity in ancient Rome, please click here. The rest of this essay will concentrate on paganism. The traces of Christianity found in the imperial legions are slim. It has been said the Roman army was the last refuge of paganism. Moreso, however, many of the legion recruits came from rural and backwater areas that were the last reaches of the empire to experience conversion to Christianity. Christianity was not quite compatible with the State religion, which no doubt encouraged some Christians to keep their faith hidden. While there probably had always been Christians serving in the legions after the mid first century, the number of open Christians seem few and far between. This was especially important as Italians deserted the legions and provincials came to form the backbone of Roman military power. While there is no doubt that many if not most of the soldiers sincerely believed in their divinities, the chief political effect of the army religion was to promote Romanization among the troops. The religion of the imperial legions was therefore modeled on the State religion.
ROMAN LEGION EAGLE STANDARD PROFESSIONAL
By the time of the empire, the legions had become a professional fighting force, the chief appendage of the ever-expansive Roman State. The religion of the early Roman soldier was not distinguishable from the religion of the average citizen, as Republican soldiers were recruits or conscripts who returned to civilian life after their tour of duty.