Military Records

The Roman Army: Paperwork Included

Marching, fighting, and building forts get most of the attention, but the Roman army also produced a surprising amount of paperwork.

Someone had to keep track of the soldiers. Who was present? Who was sick? How much food was needed? What equipment had been issued? Even requests for supplies and leave went into the records.

Clerks handled most of it, writing on wax tablets, thin wooden leaves, and papyrus. Officers had administrative duties too, so even a tough centurion couldn’t escape the paperwork.

Some surviving records are amazingly ordinary. Behind the armor and swords was a very large organization trying to keep track of people, supplies, money, and equipment.

Apparently even conquering the ancient world required someone to fill out the forms.