Greek and Roman Armies

A breif summary and overview of Greek and Roman armies, weapons, and tactics.

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Friday, December 2, 2011

The Roman Military Machine

Posted by patswisher at 2:59 PM

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Labels: R.Giangiobbe

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By: Rita Giangiobbe

The Greatest Empire's Army

The ancient Roman army had males, age twenty or above who were Roman citizens. The majority of the males in the army who defended the Roman Empire were from outside countries such as Africa, France, Germany, and Spain. Soldiers were not supposed to get married while in service which was a requirement of at least twenty-five years.

In ancient times there was no other army as great nor powerful as the Roman Army. Known for their talent, skill, and for organizational tactics that could not compare to any other army. Their ethics included efficient and rigorous training, discipline, as well as the ability to adapt to new tactics. The Roman Army advanced as a body to break up and demolish enemy lines creating the land ownership of the empire along with the protection. The Roman Army was most known for the 'tortoise formation' which meant men close in rank covered themselves with shields locked together at the front and over their heads. This tactic allowed the Roman Empire to move forward slowly. protected against enemy spears and missiles while resembling a tortoise.

The army had a staggering amount of soldiers as many as 150,00 men who were all paid. These soldiers were organized into legions of four to six thousand soldiers called legionaries. There was about thirty legions in the Roman Army, each had ten cohorts made up of six troops of about eighty legionaries called centuries. Furthermore, each century was led by a centurion who carried a short stick around to punish any soldier who disobeyed an order given and the stick also depicted his importance in the army. The officer in charge or command of the entire legion was called a legate.

Rita Giangiobbe

Explore Over 600 Years of the Roman Army through these photos

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/romanarmy_gallery.shtml