22. the army of early italy - university relations
TRANSCRIPT
4/12/2012
1
22.
The Army of
Early Italy
From the Early Iron Age
to the eve of
the Punic Wars
Centuriate Organization
Class Property Armor Weapons Troops
Senatorial
I
125,000 Helmet, clipeus, greaves, breastplate
Spear
Sword
80
Equestrian
I
100,000 Helmet, clipeus, greaves, breastplate
Spear
sword
18
II 75,000 Helmet, scutum, greaves Spear
sword
20
III 50,000 Helmet, scutum Spear
sword
20
IV 25,000 [scutum] javelin 20
V 11,000 - Sling, stones
30
Proletariat - - 5
4/12/2012
2
Militarized the population
• Entire population organized as a fighting force
• Populus
– Etymology seems to be from "army"
• Derived verb populari means "devastate"
– Assembly of "army" replaces earlier assembly of curias
– In the Late Republic means "body politic" or “People”
– In Empire it means the “dejected poor”
Roman Republic 509–30 BCE
• Latins in Rome now at
war with Etruscans
• Rome formed a
government based on
the census system
(senatorial oligarchy)
• They begin to expand
throughout central
Italy (Latin League)
Bronze bust of L. Junius Brutus Capitoline Museum, Rome
4/12/2012
3
Roman farmer/soldier (before Punic Wars)
• Backbone of the Roman army – Plough and cultivate from harvest to sowing – Then go on seasonal military campaign (Summer and
mid Autumn)
• Every peasant (from age 17-46 y.o.) liable for infantry service for 16 years – signed up for length of command – more than ½ served ≤ 7 years
• Soldiers had to possess property to enroll in the army – amount slowly decreased until 101 BCE
L. Quinctius Cincinnatus
George Washington
as the “American
Cincinnatus”
Life of the Peasant • Generally under-employed • Hard labor every day required for food production • Potential for falling into nexum “debt bondage”
– Abolished by 326 BCE
• Average life expectancy was around 24 years • Infants considered “unfit” were commonly exposed
Ancient 24 years
Modern
78.3 years
4/12/2012
4
Roman Expansion
490-390: Osco-Umbrian Wars
406-396: Siege at Veii
386: Rome sacked by Gauls
343: 1st Samnite War
341-338: Romano-Latin War
327-304: 2nd Samnite War
298-290: 3rd Samnite War
280-272: Pyrrhus War
Osco-Umbrian Invasions (490s -390s)
Key Umbrian peoples:
Hernici (allies)
Aequi Marsi Sabini Volsci Vestini Umbri
Italic people who lived in the mountains and lived a nomadic existence and often struggled against sedentary farmers. (war for resources)
Constant aggression between various Umbrians and the Roman-Latin alliance from 490s -390s
War with Etruscans at Veii
Three wars were fought between Rome and the Etruscan city of Veii
483-474 BCE Veientine War I
437-435 BCE Veientine War II
406-396 BCE Veientine War III
(seige of Veii)
4/12/2012
5
Siege at Veii
(406-396 BCE )
• Siege lasted 10
years
• Livy reports that
the general
Marcus Camillus
drained the lake
that provided the
water supply
• Shows Rome’s
desire to expand
and growing
sophistication of
military tactics
Rome
Veii
Lake Alba
Italy Invaded by Gauls
Celtic expansion into Italy
“Reforms of Camillus”
• M. Camillus instituted
pay to the soldiers
• built (or rebuilt) the
walls around Rome in
375
• credited by Livy with
reorganizing army from
hoplite phalanx to
maniple (not Polybius)
The so called “Servian” Wall
4/12/2012
6
The Latin Revolt (341-338)
The Roman Commonwealth (338)
Latin cities: closest to Rome and given voting rights and citizenship (taxed in troops)
Municipium: communities who received ½ citizenship (troop tax)
• the right to marry
• the right to migrate; own property
• the right to do business with and in Rome
• No vote
End of the Latin League Treaty of Cassius broken
Now each had to sign separate agreement with differing legal rights:
1) Incorporation Most of the remaining Latin communities around Rome were
directly absorbed into the Roman state.
2) Continued Latin status These towns lost the communal Latin rights (commercium,
conubium, change of residence) between themselves but retained them with Rome.
These towns provided military contingents for the Roman army.
3) Non-voting citizenship civitas sine suffragio: "citizenship without the vote“ A person with such citizenship was called a municeps = "taker of
duties." A town of such citizens was called a municipium.
Roman Colonies
Cales
Fregellae
Foundation of Fregellae on the Liris provoked war with the Samnites
In 291 Venusia established
in the center of Samnite territory
In 273, Cosa in S. Etruria
and Paestum in southern Italy used to maintain Roman control after the departure of Pyrrhus
In the 260s Beneventum and Aesernia were sent to Samnite territory
4/12/2012
7
Samnite Wars
1st Samnite War (343-41)
• Rome controls Campania
2nd Samnite War (327-304)
• Rome defeated at Battle of Caudine Forks but win war
3rd Samnite War (298-90)
• Victory at Sentinum (295) opens up the rest of central
Italy
Samnite Warriors Fresco at Pompeii
4/12/2012
8
Two Roman consuls leading an invading force into Samnium were trapped in a mountain pass known as the Caudine Forks
– could neither advance nor retire
– would have been annihilated if they had not submitted to the humiliating terms
Battle of Caudine Forks (321 BCE)
“under the yoke”
1 Century = 80 men
1 Maniple = 2 Centuries = 160 men
3 Maniples = 1 Cohort
Page 108 of WAW textbook
pilum: iron tipped spear for throwing and lancing
4/12/2012
9
Hellenistic Kingdoms
Ptolemaic
Seleucid
Antigonid
Parthian
Mauryan
Epirus
Carthaginian
Pergamon
Roman
Pyrrhus invades Italy 280 BCE
• Hellenistic king from Epirus in Western Greece – claimed decent from Alexander
• Invited by Greek cities in S. Italy to take part in a civil war and check Roman expansion
• First time a professional Macedonian phalanx fights the Roman maniple legion
• The outcome gives Rome military confidence to expand even further
3,000 cavalry 2,000 archers 500 slingers 20,000 Mac hoplites 20 war elephants
4/12/2012
10
Wars with Pyrrhus 280 Pyrrhus lands in Tarentum with 25,000 troops and 20 war elephants
279 Defeats Rome at
Battle of Heraclea 279 Battle of Asculum:
Pyrrhus wins but loses so many troops called “Pyrrhic victory”
278 sails to Sicily only to be forced out by the Carthaginians
275 Battle of Malventum: Romans finally win and change the name of the city of Beneventum 272 leaves Italy and ravages Greece. Killed in Argos by an old woman with a roof tile.
Discussion of Roman Army • Legion
– Latin word legio originally a verbal abstraction that signifies "selection.“
• Terms Of Service – The military of the early and middle Republic was a militia of
the landowners
• Roman Tactics – military superiority through development of the maniple
system of organization
• Officers – original four legions assigned to the consuls were elected – centurion appointed from the ranks by the commander on the
basis of bravery and other merit
• Troops – Cavalry – Allies
4/12/2012
11
Roman Imperialism: Rome unified (conquered) Italy in 100 years
Why did Rome expand? Was it…
• Social: every Roman citizen (and allies) had to
serve in the army
• Economic: wealth and slaves to be gained by
victory
• Cultural: desire for laus and gloria on the
battlefield defined manhood
• Political: military fame helped get one get
elected to office
• Spiritual: the belief that the world would be
better off under Roman administration (cosmic
order under Roman law)
Next Step: The Punic Wars