The number of grooms was estimated at 700 per legion, the driver at 300. The mission of the Legion's own cavalry was thus mainly divided on reconnaissance and courier and reporting services.Īs grooms and drivers served usually slaves. For example, the unerring archers from Crete, the slingers from the Balearic Islands or the cavalry of Gallic and Germanic origin. These were used as reinforcement of the foot troops or special units, which often exceeded the Roman infantry and cavalry in quality and even replaced with time. In addition to the legions, which consisted mainly of Roman citizens, so-called auxiliary troops were often used the numerically equivalent to a legion. At that time, the entire Roman army embraced about 25 legions, which were, however, mostly far below their target strength of 6,600 men by the Civil War. The poorest citizens, called capite censi (Latin: those numbered in the head because they had no other possessions), did not have to serve.Īfter the army reform by Emperor Augustus, the legions consisted increasingly of volunteer professional soldiers. So wealthy citizens were put into the cavalry and called equites, the less wealthy came to the infantry and there were also divided into three classes, with the poorer came to the light infantry. Since every citizen had to pay for his own equipment, the privileged genera were only accessible to those who had the necessary money to afford it. Every five years, citizens were censored into five classes based on their assets, which also determined the type of service in which each citizen was employed. Thus, in the event of war, the citizens of Rome were called to arms, which was quite common. Legions at the time of the Roman Republic until 27 BC.Īt the time of the Roman Republic, the legions still existed as a citizen militia. Organization pattern of the auxiliary troops Several legions have already been set up in the 3rd century BC. In addition to the Romans, troops of allies, the so-called Latin allies of Rome (socii), were already deployed at the beginning.Īfter the enlargement of the Roman sphere of influence became from the 4. The older vintages had to occupy the city fortifications at home. In the Legion served the citizens of the first squad from the age of 18 to 46 years. At that time there was only 1 legion in Rome, which designated the whole army. So the legions initially consisted of 3,300 men, after the union of the Palatine mountains with the hill tribes of Quirinal the legion was doubled to 6,600 men. In addition, there were 300 riders (centuriae) among the three department leaders (tribuni celerum). The origin of the Legion was marked by the Greek Hoplite phalanxes, whose main weapon lances were and in three thousand under three tribunes (tribuni militum) moved into the field. who made of the army a standing professional army, which was stationed mainly at the borders of the empire. Only through the growth of the empire and the establishment of several armies, the army was divided into individual legions, which can be compared with today's divisions.Īt the beginning, the legions were mainly equipped with conscripts, but this was changed by the army reform of Emperor Augustus around 107 BC. In the early days of the Roman Empire, the term legion referred to the entire military army of Rome. The introduction of a professional army, the continuous development of weapons and equipment, as well as a high degree of education and discipline, made the legions an essential factor in the spread of the Roman Empire and its preservation. Century before Christ until the early 7th century. The individual legions were in the Roman Empire independently operating large associations which usually consisted of 3,000 to 6,000 soldiers, riders and auxiliaries and consisted of 6/5.
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