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The Roman Military
By Scott Wright
For Mr. Smith’s Roman History Class
Microsoft Office Word 97 - 2003 Document
TOOLS OF WARSTRATEGY AND TACTICS
Topics of Discussion
The Gladius (Sword)
This was the weapon of choice for hand to hand combat.
This would be about 50 cm with a double-edged blade
The Pilum (Spear)
There were both thick and thin pilumThe thin ones had a long iron head and fit to
the 2 m handle through a socketThe thick pilum was 2 m and attached with a
5 cm tangThese were usually thrown before engaging
the enemy with the gladius
Armor
One of the most important parts of a soldier’s equipment.
Roman armor was designed to protect against projectiles such as spears, arrows, swords, or daggers
Roman armor developed and improved over time
Roman Armor 160 BC
Armor for this period usually consisted of a shield and body armor that varied upon rank
The shield was a curved oval made with wood and leather
These were very heavy (10kg)
Roman Armor 160 BC continued…
Body armor for was made from a small square breastplate and one greave
A greave was worn on the left leg (the lead foot when fighting with a left-handed shield)
Roman Armor 160 BC continued…
The heavy infantry wore a bronze helmet with plume to make a man look much taller
These soldiers were called principes
Armor, 100BC – 200 AD
Recruitment was now open to any Roman citizen
Before, people with money entered the military, because a soldier had to pay for his own armor
With open recruitment, the military had to provide cheap, mass-produced armor
Armor, 100BC – 200 AD, continued
The standard armor was improved for this period and was called the loric segmentata
This type of armor was segmented and made from strips of iron joined together with straps
It covered the chest and shoulders and weighed about 9kg
Armor, 100BC – 200 AD, continued
The shield was improved as wellIt became rectangular instead of ovalThe front of the shield was often decorated
with patterns from a particular military unit
Tools of the Siege
A siege was held against a fortified positionThe Romans developed huge siege engines to
attack the defenses of a fortified cityOne siege engine was the scorpion, which
was like a giant crossbow and threw large spears
Romans also used battering rams to break through enemy gates
Strategy and Tactics
The military was very organizedEach legion had about 5,500 menThese were divided into ten units called
cohortsThe cohorts were divided into six centuries of
about 80 men eachEach century was commanded by a centurionThe legion also had about 120 cavalrymen
who acted as scouts
Conclusion
The Roman armor and tactics made it the best military in the world during the height of the Roman Empire
THE ENDTHANK YOU!