The article explores sexuality, prostitution, and slavery in the Roman military context, focusing on the recently excavated Roman marching camp of Wilkenburg near Hanover. Archaeological finds and historical sources reveal how Roman soldiers—though officially barred from marriage—maintained sexual relationships through concubines, camp followers, and widespread prostitution.
Prostitution was normalized in Roman culture but relied heavily on slavery and the exploitation of women and children, many of whom were trafficked from conquered regions. The vast slave trade of the empire also extended to sexual labor. While the sources mostly reflect male perspectives, the evidence shows that sexuality was a constant presence in the Roman army’s world, even if the exact locations of brothels at Wilkenburg remain uncertain today.
Julia Hillner’s contribution is crucial in situating these findings within the broader history of slavery. She emphasizes that the Roman Empire’s massive slave trade—estimated at 250,000 to 400,000 new captives annually—also extended into non-Roman areas like Germania. She points to evidence that enslaved women and children from these regions were trafficked and exploited, including for sexual purposes, underlining the systemic entanglement of Roman military expansion, slavery, and sexual exploitation.
The article is written in German and accessible only to Spiegel Geschichte subscribers.