What was life like in the Roman army? (2024)

FAQs

What was life like in the Roman army? ›

A Roman soldier was well trained. He could march 20 miles a day, wearing armor and carrying equipment. He could swim, build bridges, and smash his way into forts. After a long day's march, Roman soldiers had to build a camp, complete with a ditch and a wall of wooden stakes.

The Roman Army was one of the most successful in the history of the world and its soldiers were rightly feared for their training, discipline and stamina. As a result, the army was a major player in Roman politics and maintaining its loyalty was an essential task for any Emperor.

In the Roman army, a soldier's life was hard and tough even for the most resilient men. They were taken from their homelands, away from their families and friends and expected to defend provinces in far extremes of the empire.

Roman military units of the period were largely hom*ogeneous and highly regulated. The army consisted of units of citizen infantry known as legions (Latin: legio) as well as non-legionary allied troops known as auxiliary. The latter were most commonly called upon to provide light infantry or cavalry support.

The training that soldiers had to do was very tough and thorough and included marching 20 miles a day wearing full armour. This meant that the Roman armies were very fit and organised. Training included marching in formation and learning specific tactics and manoeuvres for battle.

There were probably no standing or professional forces. During the Regal Era (to c. 500 BC), the standard levy was probably of 9,000 men, consisting of 6,000 heavily armed infantry (probably Greek-style hoplites), plus 2,400 light-armed infantry (rorarii, later called velites) and 600 light cavalry (equites celeres).

Its basic unit was the century, which comprised eighty men, divided into ten sections (contubernia) of eight, who shared either a barrack room or tent. Six centuries of eighty men formed a cohort, and ten cohorts made up a legion. Nine of the cohorts were divided into six centuries.

CULTURE, LAW, AND PRACTICE

Nevertheless, many Roman soldiers formed de facto unions with women and fathered children. This marriage ban is directly attested to in papyri from Roman Egypt that show that soldiers' marriages were illegal and that their children born during service were illegitimate.

Some of the activities that Roman soldiers participated in for fun and relaxation included: Games and Sports: Roman soldiers often played various games and engaged in physical activities to keep fit and pass the time. Activities like dice games, board games, wrestling, and various forms of ball games were popular.

Despite Rome's glorious architecture, only the richest citizens enjoyed the good life – most lived in dangerous, cramped and smelly housing. Despite these differences, almost all citizens carefully observed the same rituals at dinner time – the rituals that made them Roman.

How tall were Roman soldiers? ›

There were strict physical and social requirements for recruitment: they had to be men of at least 172 cm (5 feet 7 inches) tall and, though there was no minimum age requirement, they had to join before the age of 35.

A typical Roman army during this period consisted of five to six legions. One legion was made up of ten cohorts. The first cohort had five centuria each of 160 soldiers. In the second through tenth cohorts there were six centuria of 80 men each.

Under their armour, Roman soldiers would wear woollen tunics and cloth shirts. Over this, they would wear iron armour strips, attached with leather straps. They wore iron helmets known as cassis or galea. As for footwear, they wore leather sandals made of bound straps.

With no doubt, the Romans (including Byzantines) feard the most their arch enemies the Persians (Parthians and Sassanids). But it depends on the period aswell. In the beginning the Romans feared the Gaules, later the Greeks, later some Germanic tribes, after that the Huns.

1. Mongol Empire: The Mongol army, led by Genghis Khan and his descendants, conquered much of Asia and Eastern Europe in the 13th century. The Mongol army was feared for its lightning-fast raids, brutal tactics, and highly skilled horsemanship.

The diet of a Roman soldier consisted of wheat, rations of smoked bacon or fresh meat (when available, usually pork), vegetables, legumes, cheese, vinegar, olive oil, and wine. These rations were issued several times per week so that every soldier would have carried food for around three days.

A typical Roman army during this period consisted of five to six legions. One legion was made up of ten cohorts. The first cohort had five centuria each of 160 soldiers. In the second through tenth cohorts there were six centuria of 80 men each.

The Roman Empire was the post-Republican state of ancient Rome. It is generally understood to mean the period and territory ruled by the Romans following Octavian's assumption of sole rule under the Principate in 27 BC. It included territories in Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia and was ruled by emperors.

What made the Roman army so different to almost every other culture is that their soldiers were professional. Since they were paid to be there full-time, they didn't have to spend time farming or doing other duties. As a result, when a legion was not fighting a battle, they were training and honing their skills.

legion, a military organization, originally the largest permanent organization in the armies of ancient Rome. The term legion also denotes the military system by which imperial Rome conquered and ruled the ancient world.