Eoin o’neill History
Eoin o’neill HistoryThe life of a Roman soildierWho was in the Roman army?Only men were able to be in the Roman Army. Every Roman soldier had to be Roman citizen to be in the roman army. soilders had to be at least 20 years old to join the army. They were not supposed to get married while they were soldiers. Most soldiers in the Roman Empire came from countries outside Italy. There were Roman soldiers from Africa, Gaul, Germany, the Balkans, Spain and the Middle East.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 soldier soften settled down to old age togetherWhat armour and weapons did the Romans have?We know about Roman armour and weapons from Roman pictures and statues, and from finds by modern archaeologists. A Roman soldier wore armour made from strips of iron and leather (lorica segmentata in Latin). On his head was a metal helmet (galea). He carried a rectangular shield, curved so it protected his body (scutum). The shield was made of wood and leather. The soldier's main weapons were a short sword for stabbing (gladius) and a long spear called a javelin for throwing (pilum). The javelin had a sharp iron point, and a thin, bendy shaft. When it hit an enemy's shield, the point stuck in, but the shaft bent. This made it difficult to pull out. The long spear shaft got in the way, so the enemy had to throw away his shield.Impreial roman armyUnder the founder–emperor Agustus(ruled 30?BC – 14?AD), theleigons, ca. 5,000-strong all- heavy infantry formations recruited from only, were transformed from a mixed conscript and volunteer corps serving an average of 10 years, to all-volunteer units of long-term professionals serving a standard 25-year term (conscription was only decreed in emergencies). In the later 1st century, the size of a legion's First Cohort was doubled, increasing legionary personnel to ca. Alongside the legions, Augustus establish ed the auxilia, a regular corps of similar numbers to the legions, recruited from the perigrini(non-citizen inhabitants of the empire - about 90% of the empire's population in the 1st century). As well as comprising large numbers of extra heavy infantry equipped in a similar manner to legionaries, the auxilia provided virtually all the army's cavalry (heavy and light), light infantry, archers and other specialists. The auxilia were organised in ca. 500-strong units called cohortes (all-infantry), alae (all-cavalry) and cohortes equitatae (infantry with a cavalry contingent attached). Around AD 80, a minority of auxiliary regiments were doubled in size. Until about 68 AD, the auxilia were recruited by a mix of conscription and voluntary enlistment. After that time, the auxilia became largely a volunteer corps, with conscription resorted to only in emergencies. Auxiliaries were required to serve a minimum of 25 years, although many served for longer periods. On completion of their minimum term, auxiliaries were awarded Roman citizenship, which carried important legal, fiscal and social advantages. Alongside the regular forces, the army of the Principate employed allied native units (called numeri) from outside the empire on a mercenary basis. These were led by their own aristocrats and equipped in traditional fashion. Numbers fluctuated according to circumstances and are largely unknown.As all-citizen formations, and symbolic garantors of the dominance of the Italian "master-nation", legions enjoyed greater social prestige than the auxilia. This was reflected in better pay and benefits. In addition, legionaries were equipped with more expensive and protective armour than auxiliaries, notably the lorica segmentaor laminated-strip armour. However, in 212, the emperor caracellagranted Roman citizenship to all the empire's inhabitants. At this point, the distinction between legions and auxilia became moot, the latter becoming all-citizen units also. The change was reflected in the disappearance, during the 3rd century, of legionaries' special equipment, and the progressive break-up of legions into cohort-sized units like the auxilia. ................
................
In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.
To fulfill the demand for quickly locating and searching documents.
It is intelligent file search solution for home and business.