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Message:: [QUOTE="Al Kowsky, post: 8219695, member: 97383"][ATTACH=full]1443245[/ATTACH] I was inspired to compose this thread by the growing tension in eastern Europe between Russia & Ukraine. After completing a one-year tour of duty in Viet Nam (summer of 1967 to the summer of 1968) I was given orders to support the 7th Army headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany. I was keenly aware of the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia in August of 1968, & feared becoming part of that mess <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie67" alt=":nailbiting:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. The Warsaw Pact of 200,000 troops & 5,000 tanks, led by the Soviet Union (renamed Russia) invaded this communist country because they wanted to become a democratic country. In the fall of 1968 I received orders, along with a comrade PFC Edward Singleton, to join a German NATO unit on the Czech border to setup a communication van <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie3" alt=":(" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. I was chosen because I had a rudimentary knowledge of the German language & knew how to repair teletype equipment, & PFC Singleton was chosen because he knew how to setup these vans. We received very little help from the German "rag-tag" Army <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie4" alt=":mad:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. It was a grueling experience but we were successful <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. Getting back to the topic at hand, FIDES MILITVM was the goddess of loyalty of the military. She was usually depicted as standing or sitting while holding two military standards (signum). [ATTACH=full]1443254[/ATTACH] Maxentius, AD 307-312, Ostia Mint, 3rd Officina. Billon Nummus: 7.08 gm, 25 mm, 12 h. Obverse: Laureate head of Maxentius. Reverse: Fides standing & holding two signum, FIDES MILITVM AVG N, in exergue M OST T. RIC VI 45. Photo by Curtisimo. [ATTACH=full]1443257[/ATTACH] Constantius I as Augustus, AD 305-306, Ticinum Mint, 3rd Officina. Billon Nummus: 10.67 gm, 27 mm, 6 h. Obverse: Head of Constantius laureate. Reverse: Fides seated, holding a signum in each hand, FIDES MILITVM, in exergue T T. Sear 14170. The Roman Army had no equal in ancient history. It had the best fighting force, the best weapons, the best engineers, & the best leadership. One requisite it demanded of all members was LOYALTY, & this requisite was emphasized over & over again on the money it paid its troops. Anyone who disobeyed an order, deserted his post, retreated without authorization, or committed a serious crime was met with punitive punishment or execution. Discipline & blind obedience were paramount for an effective army. Like the Japanese samurai, the Roman legionnaire often faced death & was expected to never fear death. Therefor fleeing the battle field was considered the most heinous crime, & could bring about the most feared & cruel punishment, decimation. This punishment was not only for the fleeing soldiers but was applied to the whole legion. The legion to be punished was divided into squads of 10 soldiers each, & every member had to draw straws. The soldier picking the shortest straw was the one to be executed by the remaining 9 soldiers in the squad. The unlucky soldier was beaten to death by clubs. The other 9 soldiers were expelled from the legion for several days & had to sleep outside the walls of the compound. Instead of eating wheat products they were given raw barley to eat. Decimation was rarely used but there are several well known cases where it was applied. General Crassus ordered decimation when he was defeated by Spartacus in 71 BC, & Mark Antony ordered decimation when he was defeated by the Parthians in 36 BC. The most infamous example of decimation was ordered by Maximian Herculius in the province of southern Gaul. [ATTACH=full]1443260[/ATTACH] Maximian Herculius, AD 286-310 (struck AD 305), Aquileia Mint, 1st Officina. Billon Nummus: 11.98 gm, 28 mm, 12 h. Obverse: Laureate bust of Maximian, with helmet, cuirassed & holding a spear & decorated shield. Reverse: Fides standing & holding signum in each hand, FIDES MILITVM AVGG ET CAESS NN, in exergue AQ P. RIC VI 61b. Rare. In AD 286, Maximian ordered decimation of his Christian Theban Legion from Egypt because their Commander Mauritius refused to take part in the Christian persecutions ordered by Diocletian, & his troops refused to worship Roman deities. After the first decimation the soldiers still refused to comply with the orders, & another decimation was ordered. The decimations continued until 6,600 troops were slaughtered. The town in modern-day Switzerland where this atrocity took place later changed its name to Saint Maurice, to honor Commander Mauritius, who was given sainthood by the Catholic church. [ATTACH=full]1443269[/ATTACH] Coat of Arms of the Brotherhood of Blackheads, featuring Saint Maurice. References: The coins pictured in this thread are in the Al Kowsky collection. The Maxentius nummus is pictured in an article by NGC Ancients: Mints of the Roman Empire. Coins and History of the Roman Empire, Volume One: History. David L. Vagi. Copyright 1999. Roman Coins and Their Values, Volume IV. David R. Sear. Copyright 2011. Essay by Peter Preskar: Decimation, the Cruelest Punishment in the Roman Army, Copyright 2020. Wikipedia: Photos & historical info. CT members are welcome to post Roman coins depicting Fides Militum or anything that seems relevant <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie50" alt=":happy:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.[/QUOTE]

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