Legion at the British Museum review: a spine-tingling look at life at the sharp end of Rome's war machine

The Roman legions came, they saw, and they conquered vast swathes of land from Mesopotamia all the way to Hadrian’s Wall – and now, some 2,000 years on, they’re occupying Bloomsbury in a gripping new exhibition.

In Legion: Life in the Roman Army, the British Museum explores how this vast empire was built on military might, and asks not only how it ran but also what life was like for recruits at the sharp end of this fearsome war machine.

The story of how soldiers, from lowly auxiliaries to the high ranked centurions, joined up, fought, played, loved and died is told here in glorious detail through their writing, clothing, weapons, art – and their tombstones.

There are some wonderful exhibits on show, genuine spine-tingling objects, and some staggering stories. It is a breathtaking