Dalya Levin

The Roman ArmyWho was in the Roman

army?What was a legion?

The entire population served in the army, rich or poor (except women)

The lower classes were foot soldiers (the infantry)The soldiers on horse back were the rich classes (the cavalry)The cavalry were those who could afford to have a

horse Officers bought their own armor and weapons If an officer wanted a horse, he had to provide and

care for the horse himselfThe rich soldiers in the cavalry were called equites

Who was in the Roman army?

Only men could be in the Roman ArmyEvery Roman soldier was a Roman citizen He had to be at least 20 years old But some gravestones in Britain show that boys

of 14 years joined the legions

Soldiers were not supposed to get married

Most soldiers in the Roman Empire came from countries outside Italy

There were Roman soldiers from Africa, France, Germany, the Balkans, Spain and the Middle East

Who was in the Roman army?

The legions did not only have soldiersThere were also doctors, and engineersFoot soldiers included:

principes (first line soldiers)Triarii (reserves) hastati (spear throwers)

Who was in the Roman army?

Soldiers had to stay in the army for at least 25 years!

Then they could retire, with a pension or a gift of land to farm

Old soldiers often settled down to old age together, in a military town or colonia

This gave Rome retired but trained military men who could help to protect towns and villages all over the empire

Military service

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/romans/the_roman_army/includes/activities/pdfs/r_structure_roman_army.pdf

Structure of the Roman Army

There were about 30 legions in the Roman army

Each legion had between 4,000 and 6,000 soldiers

Soldiers were called called legionaries

Each legion had ten cohorts Each cohort was made up of six

troops of about 80 legionaries, called centuries.

Each century was led by a centurion

What was a legion?

A centurion carried a short rod, to show his importance

He could also use his stick to beat any soldier who disobeyed an order

The officer commanding the whole legion was called a legate

What was a legion?

The ancient Romans loved pomp and spectacle 

The Roman legion provided a big show!Each legion had its own special banner, its

own name, and its own numberWithin the legion, centuries also had a banner The legion had trumpet players, drummers

and other noisemakersA Roman legion on the march was certainly

spectacular

What were the legions like?

A whole legion could be punished for failing to fight well in battle – even if the Romans did win the battle itself!

When a legion moved camp, they would break apart the old camp and march away

When they stopped for the night, they would build a new camp, complete with walls, towers, and even roads

What were the legions like?

Thanks for listening!