"How were the bodies disposed of and to what extent have these men been commemorated and remembered?" This is the central focus of the article Trophies and Tombstones: Commemorating the Roman Soldier, written by Valerie M. Hope in 2003. The subject, while strange, is something that, unbeknownst to most , is a widespread and well-thought-out topic in today's military. How are our funeral traditions different from those of centuries ago, what may have caused these changes, and what exactly is the process taking place? fairly recent introduction to Western Europe -. The ultimate fate of a soldier killed at Waterloo in 1815 was little different from that of a Roman soldier: both shared an anonymous burial in a common grave” (Hope, 2003) Already the differences predominate between them. current and past practices. Although mass grave sites are common in the modern era, they are known as cemeteries, each site is marked with the individual's name, and they are not lost in anonymity. “The tendency to name the dead individually on community war memorials at battle sites or in the hometown is a characteristic of the modern era” (McIntyre 1990; King 1998). This is not to say that Rome did not recognize the lost soldiers, but rather to say that they did not recognize the individual; however, they recognized the battle using "arches and columns adorned with classical images" (Borg 1991:59-67). This creates the possibility that modern-day armies will practice what was done in the past. The Vietnam Wall, the World War II Memorial and the Korean War Memorial are essentially the same concept; with one difference though... middle of paper ...... the suffering is not only on the front lines, but on the home front. Valerie Hope's Diary also presented us with the facts and gave us insight into the motivations behind the burials. It is recognized that, although practical and cost-effective, the occasional placement of mass graves does not honor the fallen who fought, but simply saves money. the government. If someone is fighting for a cause, their resting place is just as important as any battle that might have been fought. Works Cited Borg, A. 1991. War Memorials, from Antiquity to the Present Hope, Valerie "Trophies and Tombstones.: Commemorating the Roman Soldier." World Archaeology. no. 1 (2003): 79-97. King, A. 1998. Great War memorials in Britain: symbolism and the politics of remembrance. Oxford: Berg. McIntyre, C. 1990. War Memorials: How to Read a War Memorial in London: Robert Hale..