Did you know that the earliest known person to have lived, that we know by name, was a Roman soldier?
Join Mathew Morris from University of Leicester Archaeological Services to find out more about the fascinating life of Marcus Ulpius Novantico and have a go designing and making your own Roman shield.
For KS2/3 lesson plans on the Roman army see sessions 7 & 8 of our resources for teachers.
To find out more about life as a soldier in the Roman army, read about the amazing site at Dura-Europos (the ‘Pompeii of the Syrian desert’). For the last 70 years or more of its existence, Dura became home to a substantial Roman imperial garrison. Archaeological survey and excavation reveal that the soldiers took over the northern part of the town, the old citadel and the inner wadi in its shadow which became a parade and training ground.