1 Western civilization University high school 2011-12ROMAN MILITARY

2 The Roman Military difficult to estimate size almost entirely male700,000 soldiers? 3.5 million? almost entirely male

3 The Roman Military early Rome: soldiers = citizens doing civic dutyseasonal campaigns against enemies later Rome: soldiers = paid professionals, paying allied/mercenary armies to fight with them salary + share of the spoils

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5 The Roman Soldier’s Mindsetgood soldier = loyal to Rome, his legion (military unit) bravery is teamwork, not individual standard: flag/figure carried as symbol of the legion led army into battle like a mascot…

6 Military Structure single soldiers organized into Centuria: groups of 100 soldiers led by a centurion 2 Centuria = 1 Manipulus (200 soldiers) 3 Manipuli = 1 Cohort (600 soldiers) 10 Cohorts = 1 Legion (6000 soldiers) Caesar made the centuria 60 soldiers to make the legion more mobile (3600 vs soldiers)

7 Roman Military Equipmentuniform clothing and equipment (about 50 pounds) clothing: tunic: undergarment, often made of wool jacket/outer coat heavy boots, sandals

8 Roman Military Equipmentarmor: breastplate helmet shield weapons: javelins (designed to bend & break… why?) short sword

9 Roman Military TacticsRoman armies marched, set up military camps 2-5 hours to make camp 4 gates with 2 criss-crossing streets included altars, religious gathering areas

10 Roman Military Tacticsmany advancements in battlefield layout of legions testudo formation testudo = Latin for “tortoise” used to protect against projectiles, especially during sieges drawbacks of testudo formation? slow-moving hand-to-hand combat difficult

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