The book is devoted to the study of the socio-political and military-ethical traditions of the Roman imperial army (I century BC - III century AD). These traditions are interpreted as the contradictory unity of the ancient polis-republican institutions and realities of the professional army, which was a kind of corporate community, a special social organism and subject of political history. The author's focus is on the specifics of the Roman military ethos, based on special stereotypes of behavior and values.