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The ''honesta missio'' was the honorable discharge from the military service in the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...
. The status conveyed particular privileges (''praemia militiae''). Among other things, an honorably discharged legionary was paid discharge money from a treasury established by
Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...
, the ''
aerarium militare The ''aerarium militare'' was the military treasury of Imperial Rome. It was instituted by Augustus, the first Roman emperor, as a "permanent revenue source" for pensions ''(praemia)'' for veterans of the Imperial Roman army. The treasury deriv ...
'', which amounted to 12,000 sesterces for the common soldier and around 600,000 sesterces for the '' primus pilus'' until the
Principate The Principate is the name sometimes given to the first period of the Roman Empire from the beginning of the reign of Augustus in 27 BC to the end of the Crisis of the Third Century in AD 284, after which it evolved into the so-called Dominate. ...
of
Caracalla Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname "Caracalla" () was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. He was a member of the Severan dynasty, the elder son of Emperor S ...
.


Specific privileges

The honorably discharged legionary also presumably received a certificate after a service of approximately 20 to 26 years. Only a few, called ''tabulae honestae missionis'', have been preserved, presumably because most were made of ephemeral materials.
Auxilia The (, lit. "auxiliaries") were introduced as non-citizen troops attached to the citizen legions by Augustus after his reorganisation of the Imperial Roman army from 30 BC. By the 2nd century, the Auxilia contained the same number of inf ...
ry soldiers, called '' peregrini'' (non-Roman citizens of the Empire), usually received along with an ''honesta missio'' Roman citizenship and ''conubium'' ( permission to marry) for themselves and their descendants. The imperial order about these grants were often later documented on bronze military certificates, but which were not necessarily directly related to the discharge. These orders might also include rights to cash and land, poll tax exemption for up to four people, and immunities from various duties. For example, recipients who desired to set up a business could receive a cash grant, and those desiring land could be given a sizable plot along with two oxen, cash, and 100 measures of assorted grains. These benefits would be reduced over time. Soldiers of all branches who had received their honorable discharge after completing their regular term of service or in the case of premature discharge due to invalidity, as well as due to the imperial goodwill, were considered
veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that ha ...
s, who were sometimes granted tax relief (''privilegia veteranorum''). Veterans, as '' honestiores'', fulfilled important functions in the local civil administration of their mostly rural homes, thus contributing significantly to the stability of the empire and the spread of
Hellenization Hellenization (other British spelling Hellenisation) or Hellenism is the adoption of Greek culture, religion, language and identity by non-Greeks. In the ancient period, colonization often led to the Hellenization of indigenous peoples; in ...
or in the Romanization of the areas they had subjugated. Veterans could be called back into the service of the legion as ''
evocatus An ''evocatus'' (plural ''evocati'') was a soldier in the Ancient Roman army who had served out his time and obtained an honorable discharge ('' honesta missio'') but had voluntarily enlisted again at the invitation of the consul or other commande ...
'' at the request of a commander, provided they agreed.


Other types of discharge from military service

In addition to the ''honesta missio'', there was also the premature discharge for health reasons (''missio causaria'', invalidity caused, for example, by serious injury in battle) and in dishonor (''missio ignominiosa''). In most cases, men discharged for health reasons were treated like honorably discharged, although the extent of the allowances granted to them was based on the length of their service. Dishonorable discharge (''missio ignominiosa'') was the punishment for soldiers found guilty of serious crimes. These men were forbidden by law to live in Rome or to enter the imperial service, and they could be marked ( branded or
tattooed A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing ...
). They also enjoyed none of the rights and privileges granted to honorably discharged soldiers.


In popular culture

The "gift" in '' Asterix and Caesar's Gift'' was a ''honesta missio''.


See also

* ''
Donativum The ''donativum'' (plural ''donativa'') was a gift of money by the Roman emperors to the soldiers of the Roman legions or to the Praetorian Guard. The English translation is ''donative''. The purpose of the ''donativa'' varied. Some were expres ...
'', a cash "gift" from a new emperor to secure the loyalty of troops *
Economics of the Roman army The economics of the Roman army concerns the costs of maintaining the Imperial Roman army and the infrastructure to support it, as well as the economic development to which the presence of long-term military bases contributed. Supply contracts with ...


Bibliography

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References

{{Reflist Military of ancient Rome Society of ancient Rome