Morale in the Ancient World

How the Romans roused their troops to battle and how our modern military uses similar tactics of persuasion.

At the end of the Roman Republic, the rule of thumb for modern historians is that soldiers would receive one denarius per day for their participation and continued enlistment. This payment would take care of basic necessities in addition to whatever fees may have been accrued back home. Living frugally, a man would be content with this sum.¹ The true val…