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The quingenariae units, on the other hand, seem rarely to have been in the Wall-zone in both the second and third centuries. Thus around half of the 49 cohortes quingenariae attested in Britain found themselves on the Wall at one time or another, in contrast with only one-quarter of the alae. Nevertheless, is of the 49 were equitatae, ami aboul half of these saw service in the Wall-zone. LEFT A punitive raid against a Caledonii settlement Although a spectacular imperial monument, Hadrian's Wall was not an impregnable obstacle.

363-5), whilst Ausonius, in praising the late fourth-century AD orator Minervius for his memory, says of this game: Gaming-board and counters, on display in the museum atWallsend fort. Off duty pastimes included, then as now, games of chance. (Author's Collection) 53 Once after a long contested game, 1 have seen you tell over all the throws made by either side when the dice were tipped out with a sharp spin over the fillets cut out in the hollowed boxwood of the dice-box; and recount move by move, without mistake, which pieces had been lost, which won back, through the long stretches of the game.

The thoughts of auxiliary soldiers in an isolated outpost on the road from Koptos in Egypt to the Red Sea were almost exclusively of food (CPL 303-7, SB 9017), although a few had 'camp wives' to relieve the boredom (P. Mich. 8, 9). Duties A soldier's duties were recorded on a daily basis. In the daily report of the unit, which gave the unit's muster strength, the soldier would be marked as present and correct. Besides training, parades and inspections, there were routine duties, including mounting guard at the principia, at the granary, and at the gateways, cleaning centurions' kit, latrine and bathhouse fatigues, and sweeping the camp.