CLAS / HIST 4091
/ 5091
Lecture 13: War
Machine: The Roman Imperial Army and its Uses
I. Organization
A. Division of the Army
Legionaries – 5000 Men = 10 cohorts (480 men each) = 60 centuries
(80 men... except in first cohort with double centuries) + 120 cavalry
Weaponry: (traditional Roman): throwing spear (pilum), short
sword (gladius)
Protection: body army (lorica segmentata); helmet; large rounded
rectangular shield
Auxiliaries – Alae (wings) of 500 or 1000 cavalry, or Cohorts of 500 or 1000 men (380 foot / 120 horse or 760 foot /
240 horse) or Cohorts of 500 or 1000 infantry
Weaponry: (often
ethnic) Bows, slings, stabbing spear (hasta), long swords (spatha)
Protection: (often ethnic, i.e. scale-mail)
Vexillations = detachments (esp. in war time)
B. Command and Control: Emperor >> general (dux) >> legionary
legate (senatorial) >> tribunes (senatorial) >> centurion (NCO)
>> standard bearer
C. Total numbers: AD 14 = 25 (c. 240,000 men) >> AD 211 = 33 (c. 400,000 men) +
equal number of auxiliaries (LR 135 [c. 160] = 3 in
Britain, 4 on Rhine, 11 on Danube, 9 in East, 1 each in Egypt, Numidia and
Spain)
II. Tactics
and Strategy
A. Training: LR 138 Vegetius (marching, running, swimming, weights, weapons
training)
B. Prepared for all situations (LR
139): defend against projectiles with “tortoise” (testudo); carry bridges; siege
warfare)
C. Communication (LR 136) =
through standards (aquila); horns
D. Flanking maneuvers: esp. using cavalry
III.
Soldier and Civilian
A. Legionary Camp: temporary (Josephus LR 136) >>
permanent e.g. Castra Vetera
(Xanten) in
Canabae: attract
business >> become towns
B. Terms of Service
|
Disadvantages |
Advantages |
|
Pay 225 den (Augustus)
> 500 (Severus) >> 800 (Caracalla) |
Retirement : bonus 3,000 denarii ; tax exempt status |
|
No marriage (before
Severus) |
Freedom of testation |
|
Long terms 20 years
>> 25 years (16-40 years) |
Good provisions, medical
care |
***Auxiliaries: Path to citizenship (diplomas = LR 150)
C. Multiplicity of tasks: building, tax collecting, local policing
D. Social Life: respect, fun? (Vindolanda)
IV. Honor
and Shame
A. Tough Guy Culture: (LR 152) Tiberius Claudius
Maximus captures Decebalus
B. Rewards:
Premiums ; decorations (phalerae)
C. Punishment: cudgeling; decimation
V. The Face
of
“War is hell”: Gladiator
(Universal 2000)
