Rural territories as recruiting sources for the Roman fleet: the case of Nicopolis ad Istrum (Moesia Inferior), with a new hypothesis concerning recruiting policies under Septimus Severus The authors analyze the military diplomas in which the freed soldiers mention not only their town, but also the vicus from where they originate. The case study will be Nicopolis ad Istrum (Lower Moesia), where many soldiers recruited from the area came home after finishing the military service. At the same time, the authors identify the soldiers’ units and the time at which they were recruited and explain how the indication of a vicus can be understood in a general context. At the end of the article, they draw up a new hypothesis on the citizenship granted...