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The Roman army was very victorious in its time (300 - 100 BC) because of its soldiers. The Roman army was very strict, and was highly trained in warfare, discipline, and engineering. The Roman army calls their soldier legionaries. The soldiers were separated into four different types (classes). The triacid were the more experienced soldiers.
They were rarely used in battle except when really needed. They wore full armour and carried a shield and a long spear. The principes were well armoured and carried a heavy javelin, a light javelin, and a shield. The hasati wore the same armour, and carried a light and heavy javelin. They carried a shield just as well. The velites were armed with a small shield and a few light javelins.
Every soldier in the Roman army carried a sword and a dagger. The Roman army put their soldiers through basic training. They did running excercises, obstacle courses while wearing all their armour and weapons, and marched eighteen miles three times a month. On these marches the soldiers had to carry all their equipment. They drilled in flanking and column movements used in battles and ceremonies. The Roman army was very strict about being perfect in drilling.
But most important they trained in the usage of their weapons. The Roman army also believed in punishment. If a guard was found asleep at or left his post then he would be stoned or beaten for putting fellow soldiers at risk. The outcome of that was usually death. Even entire legions can be punished. If a legion is defeated it is usually banished from Rome.
A legion contains about 4, 200 to 5, 000 men. It is divided into ten sections. Each section is called a cohort. One cohort is bigger than the rest because it contains the cooks, messengers, and clerks for the legion. A cohort is made up of six parts each called a century.
And a century is comprised of ten contuberniums which each have eight men who eat and sleep together. The Roman army has about four legions but can be increased in emergencies. Each century is controlled by a centurion and second in charge is an optio. Each century has its own signifies who carries the century's emblem. He also provides the burial club for his century.
The tesserarius of each century gives its own century a new password every morning so impersonators will be filtered out. The praefect us castro rum is in charge of all building and engineering. The cohorts were each led by tribunes. Each legion has its own legates.
The legates has full charge over his entire legion. Every legion has a silver eagle on a staff carried by an aquiline. If it is to be captured the entire legion will be banished. The campsites were huge. A ditch and a wall of dirt and stone surrounded the camp.
The sites are built so that from a distance the enemy couldnt tell where the entrance is. The tents were setup seventy meters from the wall parameter to keep away from catapulted stones. When in attack formation the legions are split into groups of 120 men called maniple's. Ten maniple's of the hasati are in the front of the formation. Five maniple's of the triacid are in the back. And between the triacid and hasati are ten maniple's of the principes.
And the velites are just scattered around. This type of formation is called a quincunx. The infantry with the javelins throw the lighter one first then the heavy one, and then charge in with their swords. Sieges were another way to attack. A siege is when the Roman army tries to invade the enemy's city or camp.
The soldiers build ramps and sliding-towers against the enemy walls. The Roman soldiers then push the towers across the ramps and against the walls. The men then climb the tower and enter the city. That is believed to be very effective in the use of a siege.
Heavy siege artillery would be huge cross bows, catapults, and battering rams. Bibliography: Bibliography: Marks, Anthony & Tiny, Graham. The Romans: London, England; by Usborne Publishing Ltd. 1990 Connolly, Peter. The Roman Army: Morristown, NJ; by Silver Burdett Company. 1985 Wilkes, John. The Roman Army: Minneapolis, Minnesota; by Lerner Publications Company. 1977
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