A little while ago I was standing beneath the walls, and South, (or Rome) gate in Florence, Italy imagining thousands of Roman Legions marching in and out of Florence going about their duties on behalf of the Empire. I could almost picture the soldiers standing upon the high wall guarding the city, keeping watch. I’ve recently gained an avid interest in the Roman Legionnaire and the make-up of the Roman armies in general. It’s been fascinating researching and getting to understand them more, considering the huge impact the Roman Empire had on the world as we know it, has led to some interesting points. (Image to right is the roman walls which used to surround Florence. Snapped by me)
The Roman Legionnaire was typically a man of between 17 and about 45 years of age however men in their 20’s were preferred. Each man had to establish origo (origin) from a city or town although the majority of legionnaires were of a rural background with forged origo, usually forged by the recruiters themselves. Those from a rural background were considered harder, more dependable men with greater endurance due to the rural lifestyle.
Once recruited each man would undergo probatio (probation). In this process those considered unworthy would be ruled out and eliminated by the recruiters. Character, mental and medical suitability was determined and only the best went through. From here it was on to the training.
The training regime was rigorous, almost brutal in nature and demanded a high degree of physical fitness, strength and fortitude. The training phase went for 4 months. Each recruit was tasked with marching 18 miles (29km) within 5 hours with a regular step followed by 22 miles (35km) in 5 hours with faster steps. This was done whilst carrying a pack weighing 45llbs (20.5kg). The march was designed to increase the endurance level of the recruits, and the slower recruits were beaten mercilessly by the Centurions and officers. If you investigate training methods of the more elite services around the world today you’ll find similar tasks as part of their training. (SEALS, Rangers, SAS, Royal marines, Gurkhas etc.)
Once proficient in the marching phase military training would commence with drills on battlefield manoeuvring and tactics including wedge, hollow square and testudo formations as well as weapons and signalling training. Interestingly the training weapons utilised (wicker or wood) were twice the weight of the actual weapons would eventually use to condition the legionary to the fatigue of battle.
The length of service for a legionnaire was 16 years after which time the legionary would join the vexillum veteranorum (veterans unit) for a further 4 years. In later times the minimum service was increased to 20 years and it was not uncommon for a legionary to serve 30-40 years in the military, especially in times of war. A discharge bonus was also added of 12,000 sesterces to sweeten the deal however I’m not sure how sweet it seemed after 40 years. A similar system is used in military’s around the world today. Annually a legionary would be paid 900 sesterces over 3 payments. Food, equipment and burial were deducted from this amount. The life in the Legions would never make them rich.
The lack of good pay was balanced by the prospect of booty, and I don’t mean that of one of those Kardashian people. It was common practice for the bodies of the dead to be looted immediately upon the battle ceasing and of course plundering was the norm in those days. This allowed the soldiers to supplement their pay and also engage in the barbaric acts often associated with war in those days.
Being a legionnaire meant a harsh life of discipline and regimen and lack of discipline was dealt with brutally. Cowardice was not tolerated. A typical disciplinary action would be decimatio from the word “decem” or “tenth”. The punishment entailed selecting every tenth man from a Cohort of 480 men to be put to death. The execution was carried out by the selected man’s comrades and was by stoning or clubbing known as fustuarium. The men would be selected by lottery and rank was not observed; It could be anyone from the Cohort. This punishment was administered for cowardice, insubordination, desertion, espionage and the like. Brutal.
The life of a legionnaire was a brutal existence but one in which deep friendships were made over the course of a military career. Within a centuria made up of 80 soldiers the men were divided into a tent group, contubernium of 8 men who fought, ate and relaxed together. This practice invoked high morale on and off the battlefield. It would be much like the bond between operators in the SEAL Teams of today for instance. The bond of brotherhood, forged in the crucible of war.
The structure of the Roman army was brilliantly organised and was relatively easily managed through it’s simple structure. Below is a typical structure (simplified) although the exact numbers could fluctuate depending upon operational requirements.
- Conturbenium – 8 men
- Centuria – 80 men (Commanded by a Centurion)
- Cohort – 480 men
- Legion – 6000 men (The 1st Cohort would have twice the men hence (6000)
- Cavalrymen – 120 (operated as scouts)
There existed some 50 Legions prior to Augustus becoming the sold leader in 31 BC at which time he disbanded about half. Some 125,000 to 300,000 men served in the Legions at various point in history at a given time. It must be said that there were thousands more serving as archers, tacticians, armorers, engineers, farriers and blacksmiths and of course the ever-reliable slaves.
The Roman Empire spread across some 5 million square kilometres by the year 117AD and was powerful beyond belief. It conquered many adversaries and annexed city after city reaching, even, to what is now the UK where many old Roman ruins sit now. (I'll be visiting many in June/July this year). All of this happened on the backs of the Legionnaire. The mighty Roman Empire rested on the shoulders of these mighty warriors, relied on their strength of arm, fortitude, discipline and strength of character on the battlefield. The strength of the Legions was it’s cohesiveness, tactical superiority and discipline, it’s organisation and brutal efficiency. These qualities are valued in fighting forces around the globe to this day and training regimes mimic those of the Romans, Spartans, Persians and Greeks among others.
All those years ago who would have thought the diminutive 5 foot 7 inch tall legionnaire would make such an impact on our world, and who would have thought the mighty Roman Empire could crumble as it did.
