CC 302/347
INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME
Outline for
Lecture 5: The Roman Army
(I)
Army Structure
- Roman army made up of legions (approx. 4000-5000 men)
- chain of command included
- general
- lesser officers (tribunes, praepositi or praefecti)
- career positions (e.g. centurions)
- infantrymen were core of army: mobile, well trained
("turtle"/"tortoise" formation)
- support forces include cavalry, archers, etc.
- elite unit: Praetorians, only troops barracked
in Rome
Roman military camp
- always identical in design two axis roads
- the general's tent, the praetorium, at center of
camp
Military Discipline
- discipline the key; cf. Manlius Torquatus 340 BCE
- each soldier swore oath of allegiance, the
sacramentum
- absolute power of the general shown by
decimation.
- practice of devotio -- "failure is not an
option" -- Publius Decius Mus & son (340, 295)
- army
Romanization
- in west, West, army imposed Latin language and Roman
way of life
- urbanization
- infrastructure: roads, aqueducts, etc.
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