I once told my grandfather (Who I think knows everything.) that the Roman pilum bends when it hits the ground and he said (to my surprise) "I never knew that."
2. The Roman army was noted for their organized military. The lowest rank soldier was an
Auxiliary who was a non-citizen of Rome. They were the lowest paid soldier in the army. They were paid about 250 denarii a year. Now, it would seem like these guys would never be on the front line. However, that's not true. They were always on the front lines fighting. In addition to fighting, they were also messengers and scouts. Instead of a pilum they carried a hasta and instead of a square shield they had a round shield, which allowed them to fight in loose formations. They did not have breastplates and they were given little training. 
2. The Roman army was noted for their organized military. The lowest rank soldier was an
Auxiliary who was a non-citizen of Rome. They were the lowest paid soldier in the army. They were paid about 250 denarii a year. Now, it would seem like these guys would never be on the front line. However, that's not true. They were always on the front lines fighting. In addition to fighting, they were also messengers and scouts. Instead of a pilum they carried a hasta and instead of a square shield they had a round shield, which allowed them to fight in loose formations. They did not have breastplates and they were given little training. 
The Legionary was paid 300 denarii per year. He was very well trained and disciplined. His weapons were a pilum (spear) and gladius (sword). He used a square shield and always fought on the front line. These soldiers, instead of loose formations, fought in tight formations like the "wedge" and others. The wedge was usually used for breaking enemy lines.
Then there was the tortoise which looked like a tank. It was so strong that once they tried to drive a cart and horse over it and it worked! Here is a picture of a tortoise.
The next soldier is the Centurion,he was paid 8,500 denarii. He is in charge of 80 men and was very cruel. In battle he would usually lead wedges. 
You can see he has a unique helmet. His only weapon is a gladius. The stick in his left hand he used to beat disobedient legionaries. Here were the top 4 reasons a Centurion would issue a punishment.a
1. Cowardliness
2. Theft
3. Disobedience
4. Desertion
Please come back for more on the Roman army.
Remember if you have any questions just leave a comment and I will answer it in my next blog.
Thanks!
6 comments:
hey john:
so how did the Romans accomplish keeping a large army? how did they keep the men motivated? how come they didn't just want to "end the war"? peter lash
Hello John,
This is so great. I am very impressed and very proud of you. I can't wait for the next installment. :-)
Pastor Matt
Hey John,
Your blog is really cool! I always wanted to have a blog. Maybe sometime you could show me how to make one.
Hi John,
Your blog is excellent. I enjoy your writing style, and the information you're sharing is truly interesting.
I have a couple of questions about the Centurions.
1) Does the strange helmet serve any specific purpose other than identifying the Centurion?
2) What are the metal guards on his legs called, and why don't the other soldiers have them?
Dear Peter,
You asked how the Romans kept such a large army and I have the answer in one word. Discipline.
Discipline is also the answer to youur second question. Regarding your third question, they always wanted the war over with them the victors. They wouldn't stop until they were victorious which is another reason why they were so famous.
Dear Mrs. Green,
You asked if the strange helmet on the centurion had any purpose than identifing the centurion and the answer is no. In fact, the Primuis Pilus has the same helmet. You also asked what the the metal gaurds on the centurions legs were called and I really do not know. However, I'll email you when I find the answer. You also asked why other soldiers didn't have them and the answer is that so other soldiers could recognize him.
Post a Comment