The Roman Army

1
The Roman Army

• Discipline and Strength

2
Strength and Composition

• Contubernium
• A group of 6-10 soldiers that shared a tent and
  ate together
• Century
• Originally consisted of 100 men
• Later reduced to 60-80 men
• Maniple
• Two centuries
• Cohorts
• Three maniples
• Legion
• Ten cohorts
• A full-strength legion contained 5,120-6,720 men

3
Arms and Armor

• Republic to the Empire

4
Mail ArmorEarly Republic
5
Scale Armor Republic and Later
6
SegmentedArmorEmpire
7
Helmet
8
Shield
9
GladiusRepublicandEmpire
10
Gladius

• Short stabbing sword
• Was not used to slash
• Soldiers would hold shields as a wall and then
  would stab around the side into the enemy soldiers

11
Pilum
12
Pilum

• Soldiers carried two types
• Light
• Heavy
• Pilum would penetrate and then bend so that it
  could not be reused
• If Pilum penetrated shields
• Shields would become unusable

13
Tactics

• The Look of the Battlefield

14
Initial Advance
15
Engagement
16
Sequence of Battle

• Roman army advances on the enemy
• Line halts and throws light pila
• Further advance and the another halt and heavy
  pila are thrown
• Swords are drawn and line advances to contact
  with the enemy

17
Sequence of Battle

• Lines of troops could be relieved by those behind
• Gaps in lines could be used to allow those in
  front to filter to the rear
• Gaps would be filled as the lines approached the
  enemy troops