Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
This is a list of Roman army units and bureaucrats. Accensus – Light infantry men in the armies of the early Roman Republic, made up of the poorest men of the army. Actuarius – A soldier charged with distributing pay and provisions. Adiutor – A camp or headquarters adjutant or assistant. Aeneator – Military musician such as a bugler
The Imperial Roman Army was the military land force of the Roman Empire from 27 BC to 476 AD, [1] and the final incarnation in the long history of the Roman army. This period is sometimes split into the Principate (27 BC – 284 AD) and the Dominate (284–476) periods.
Third-century Roman soldiers battling barbarian troops on the Ludovisi Battle sarcophagus (250–260) Rome was established as a nation by making aggressive use of its high military potential. From very early on in its history, it would raise two armies annually to campaign abroad. The Roman military was far from being solely a defense force.
The contubernium (Latin for 'tenting-together') was the smallest organized unit of soldiers in the Roman Army and was composed of ten legionaries, [1] essentially the equivalent of a modern squad, although unlike modern squads contubernia seemed to serve no tactical role in battle.
The Roman soldier underwent especially rigorous training throughout his military career; discipline was the base of the army's success, and the soldiers were relentlessly and constantly trained with weapons and especially with drill—forced marches with full load and in tight formation were frequent.
Roman organisation was more flexible than those of many opponents. Over time, the legions effectively handled challenges ranging from cavalry, to guerrillas, and to siege warfare. Roman discipline (cf. decimation), organization and systematization sustained combat effectiveness over a longer period. These elements appear throughout the legion ...
Reconstruction of a pugio: a Roman soldier from a northern province. A pugio is a dagger that was used by Roman soldiers, likely as a sidearm. Like other items of legionary equipment, the dagger underwent some changes during the 1st century. Generally, it had a large, leaf-shaped blade 18 to 28 cm long and 5 cm or more in width.
Service in the legions was limited to property-owning Roman citizens, normally those known as iuniores (age 16–46). The army's senior officers, including its commanders-in-chief, the Roman consuls, were all elected annually at the People's Assembly. Only equites (members of the Roman knightly order) were eligible to serve as senior officers.