What was the Roman Army comprised of?

Only Men
At first only property owners and farmers could join the army, but after the first century BC
onwards anybody could join
You had to be physically fit and 54 tall
You were expected to stay in the army around 16 years

Roman Soldier
Describing picture
Army Training
During the summer months, Roman Soldiers had to march 30 km in less than 5 hours while
carrying 60 pounds of equipment
Had plenty of physical exercises such as long distance running, high jump, long jump, climbing
over walls, obstacle courses, swimming in armor
There was also weapon training, such as handling a sword, delivering blows to the enemies,
throwing javelins
Roman Armor and Weapons

Galdius; Short sword for throwing

Pugio; Roman Dagger
Piluim; The roman throwing spear
Haste ; Roman Fighting Spear

Roman Armor and Weapons

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Roman body armor

Metal Helmet

Roman shield (Scutum)

Army Organization
- The Roman Army was one of the most organized armys in the world.
- The largest group in the Roman army was the Legion, Which contained around 6000 men at first, but
was reduced to 1000-1500 around the third century for increased mobility.
The Legion
The Structure of the Legion
The legion was commanded by a Legate, and was divided into ten cohorts,
Each cohort contained 600 people
The cohort were made up of six centuries, each with 100 soldiers
The centuries were commanded by a centurion
Roman Army Rankings
Highest Rank was the Commander/Generals
Then the Legates/ Lieutenants
Then the Military Tribunes

 Then the Centurions

Then Inside the Century there were 5 basic ranks of the Soldiers
Legionarii = basic soldier
Immunes = trained specialists
Discentes = Milites in training for an immunis position
Milites Gregarii = private level - foot soldiers
Tirones = new private recruits
Auxiliaries
Auxiliaries were soldiers from lands conquered by the Romans, who volunteered to fight for the
Romans
Many of these had special skills like cavalry soldiers and archers, although most fought with a
sword and short spear
These people were thought as second class soldiers, paid less and not trained as rigorously
After 25 years, these soldiers and their families became citizens of Rome
Roman Layout of a Typical Battle

Gaius Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar is believed the greatest Roman general

Julius Caesar joined the Roman Army in 81 BC and was the first Roman army commander to
invade England which he did in 55 BC and again in 54 BC.

ROMAN MILITARY MIGHT

Video
Battle of Cannae
During the Second Punic War, the Carthaginian leader Hannibal's greatest victory occurred at Cannae
on the banks of the Aufidus River, on August 2, 216 B.C. He faced eight Roman legions under Gaius
Terentius Varro and Lucius Aemilius Paullus, with Varro blamed for the defeat. At Cannae, with a
substantially smaller force*, Hannibal encircled the Roman troops and used his cavalry to crush the
Roman infantry. He hamstrung those who fled so he could later return to finish the job. Some
estimates claim that of 70,000 Roman troops at Cannae, less than 2000 survived.
Battle of Zama
A Roman army led by Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (Scipio) defeated a Carthaginian force led by
the commander Hannibal. Despite Hannibal possessing the advantage , Scipio conceived a strategy to
confuse and defeat his war elephants. Scipio's troops then routed the Carthaginian infantry, thanks in part
to superior Roman cavalry.
Soon after this defeat on their home ground, the Carthaginian senate sued for peace, which was given to
them by the Roman Republic on rather humiliating terms, ending the 17-year war.
Battle of Actium
The Battle of Actium was the decisive confrontation of the Final War of the Roman Republic, a naval
engagement between Octavian and the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra on 2 September
31 BC, on the Ionian Sea near the city of Actium, in the Roman province of Epirus vetus in Greece.

Octavian's fleet was commanded by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, while Antony's fleet was supported by the
ships of Queen Cleopatra of Ptolemaic Egypt.
Octavian's victory enabled him to consolidate his power over Rome and its dominions. He adopted the
title of Princeps ("first citizen") and some years later was awarded the title of Augustus ("revered") by the
Roman Senate.

History Sources
1. McNab, Chris. The Roman Army: The Greatest War Machine of the Ancient World. Oxford:
Osprey Pub., 2010. Print.
2. Goldsworthy, Adrian Keith. The Roman Army at War: 100 BC-AD 200. Oxford: Clarendon,
1996. Print.
3. Gini-Newman, Garfield, and Elizabeth Graham. Echoes from the Past: World History to the 16th
Century. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2001. Print.
4. McCullough, Colleen. The First Man in Rome. New York: Morrow, 1990. Print.
5. Livy, and William Masfen Roberts. The History of Rome. London: J.M. Dent, 1912. Print.
6. Grant, Michael. History of Rome. New York: Scribner's, 1978. Print.