The Greatest Sacrifice

“Fear and flight, death and blood,
I carry the wrath of the heavenly and underground gods before me, curse my doom on enemy banners, missiles and weapons, and the place of my death will be the place of destruction of the Gauls and Samnites.”

​The above words, set down in Livy's 'The history of Rome since the foundation of the city', were uttered in 295 BC at Sentinum in southern Italy by the Roman cavalry commander, Publius Decius Mus, in a desperate moment of battle against an overwhelming force of invading Gauls and their Samnite allies. As the legions retreated around him, he climbed into the saddle of his horse and charged the mass of enemy warriors… and to his death. Livy goes on to report that this moment saw the scales of victory tilt in favour of the Romans. 

Attack of the Samnites on the Roman army at Sentinum. Image from Ancient Warfare Magazine.

One can only imagine the profound effect of those who witnessed their commander - during the panicked moments of almost certain defeat - lay down his life to stir the hearts of his comrades. What more can a person give to a cause, than their very existence? And this is the essence of the ancient Roman oath of 'Devotio' - the word from which the modern term 'devotion' is derived.

DEVOTIO (noun)
​
1. A vow of self-sacrifice, in which a Roman general would offer his own life to the Gods in exchange for victory. 

Ultimately, the Romans won the Battle of Sentinum, leaving about 8,700 fallen legionaries on the battlefield, obliterating 25,000 enemies and enslaving another 8,000.

Publius' decision was not born in the eye of disaster. In fact he was following the example of his father, named also Publius Decius Mus, who, some forty years prior, while losing against a horde of Latins at the Battle of Veseris (near Mt. Vesuvius), threw himself against the enemy lines in a frenzy, causing them great panic. The Latins thought he was mad, and none wanted to clash swords with him. They were so disturbed by his mindless bravery, that they backed off and threw their spears at him instead, killing him. This was enough to break the Latins' momentum, to fragment their lines. Publius' Roman cohorts - inspired by their commander's self-sacrifice, roared back against the enemy, crushing them.

There are many other recorded instances of 'Devotio' in moments of near-disaster during battle - perhaps most famously by King Leonidas of Sparta during the darkest moments of his clash with the overwhelming Persian army at Thermopylae in 480 BC. 

King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans try to resist a reportedly 1 million strong Persian army at Thermopylae, 480 BC.

The Ritual

For the Romans, where time permitted - for example, the night before a battle where the odds were not looking good - there was a ritual to accompany the oath of Devotio.

The oath giver would don a white toga with a purple hem, known as the toga praetexta, then step onto a spear lying on the ground. A pontifex (priest) would then chant the words of the vow, which the oath giver would repeat. Livy records the words of the Devotio oath as:

"Janus, Jupiter, father Mars, Quirinus, Bellona, ye Lares, ye gods Novensiles, ye gods Indigetes, ye divinities, under whose power we and our enemies are, and ye dii Manes, I pray you, I adore you, I ask your favour, that you would prosperously grant strength and victory to the Roman people, the Quirites; and that ye may affect the enemies of the Roman people, the Quirites, with terror, dismay, and death. In such manner as I have expressed in words, so do I devote the legions and auxiliaries of the enemy, together with myself, to the dii Manes and to Earth for the republic of the Quirites, for the army, legions, auxiliaries of the Roman people, the Quirites."
​
– Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita, VIII 8.9.6-8.9.8

Another Form of Devotio

As well as meaning life-for-victory in battle, Devotio could also take another, more personal form - that of sacrificing your own life in exchange for saving another person. ​

It is this second type of Devotio that underpins my eponymous new novel, set in the Late Roman Empire's most chaotic years. A story that asks the question: 

What lengths would you go to, to save the ones you love?

Gordon Doherty is the author of the Legionary series, available at all good online stores!

The tenth & final volume 'DEVOTIO' is a story of heroism, adventure and great personal sacrifice set in the Late Roman Empire.

Buy DEVOTIO now!