For Men, About Men: A Review of Legion: Life in the Roman Army

The review presents a critical examination of the British Museum’s Legion exhibition from the perspective of a British-Iraqi, female archaeologist. While acknowledging that the exhibition brought together a stellar cast of objects, the author questions whether these were sufficient to sustain an enriching visitor experience without a strong narrative derived from recent research developments in Roman archaeology. In particular, she highlights the lack of reflective moments for visitors, especially around questions of the roles of women, enslaved people, and colonial violence, past and present.