Roman Military

[RomanLegion]

Can you name all of the ancient roman military units for me plz?

[Viggen]

Hello Roman Legion and welcome on board!

 

Could you please tell us which units you already know?

 

cheers

viggen

[RomanLegion]

Well the legionaires, centurion, signum.

[Viggen]

Here are all the Legion Ranks

http://www.unrv.com/military/legion.php

 

cheers

viggen

[RomanLegion]

thx

[RomanLegion]

Know anything about the Roman's enemy's military units?

[Primus Pilus]

There were a great deal of enemies, each with different military structures. Just be a little more specific and we can try to help

[RomanLegion]

Enemies like Carthage and their military units. Any enemies of ancient Rome and their military is what I'd like to know

[dnewhous]

Why don't we make this question more sophisticated. What were the names of Rome's 25 legions? And how about the auxillaries, did any of those units have names?

 

Also, concerning citizenship status. I believe the two types of citizenship were Roman citizenship and Latin status, correct? Roman citizenship gave you the right to vote.

 

I believe you had to be a Roman citizen to join the legions, right?

Did you have to have Latin status to join the auxillaries or could any ambitious barbarian sign on board?

 

Also, did the citizenship qualifications get more lenient as time wore on? I have the impression that Rome's military shrank something awful near the end. In particular Rome was essentially helpless after losing an army of only 20000 men to the Goths. Pathetic. They lost more men than that in some battles against Carthage!

[Primus Pilus]

Yes all the Legions had names... Legion List. The list isn't completed as far as details, but all the legions are there.

 

Yes, you had to be a citizen to join the Legions, but auxiliary status was a far more lenient thing. Based on need, nearly anyone could become a member of the auxilia, though it wasn't really something that you went and signed up for. Generally entire tribes or military units from varying 'barbaric' territories joined became auxilia as a group, not individuals.

 

And yes again, citizenship lost it exclusiveness a little by little as time went on. Partly because of social stability concerns but also because of the need to recruit for the legions. In 212 AD, Caracalla advanced the slowly growing inclusion policy to give all males (not slaves and the like) living within the Empire's border full citizenship regardless of previous status.

[dnewhous]

The way you describe it, it seams as though auxillaries were not organized or funded by Rome? That makes their loyalty seam rather questionable to me.

[Primus Pilus]

By the Imperial period, auxilia was very much a 'regular' part of the Legion. They were paid and funded by the Empire. If I recall correctly, auxilia were paid half the standard of the a full legionary.

[schreuderjonkman]

Actually, the auxillia usually made up half of the legion, and usually the most important half.

Romans never really got the hang of cavalry soldiering, and they were also bad archers.

So the heavvy infantry was made up of the citizens, of course troops with a high status, and good discipline and organization, but not flexible in use. And usually they had a small horse detachment, but the Italians were not 'born in the saddle', and usually performed poor.

 

The Auxillia troops usually supplied the crack cavalry and archers. And the skirmishers, that were often send in for the first engagement (fast and lighter armed troops). So you can see that without the auxillia there was hardly a 'complete' force on the field.

 

Where citizenship is concerned, after a period of service (it became ever longer, up to 20 years) it was rewarded to these troops. And this in turn they could pass on to theis sons. So effectively it took a generation to get the family properly in the trade. But emperors also used to give whole states citizenship on occaision. So it is a mistake to think the citizen ranks of the legion were filled with Italians. Basically, the close to Rome they lived, the less keen they were on military service. But, of course, they did supply officers.

[Primus Pilus]

Actually, the auxillia usually made up half of the legion, and usually the most important half.

 

 

Not necessarily. Auxilia strength and positioning varied throughout the empire, and its importance also varied. The Roman legion wouldn't have conquered western Europe without it, but it sure wouldn't have done so without the discipline of the regular legionary.

 

So it is a mistake to think the citizen ranks of the legion were filled with Italians.

 

 

I don't recall anyone suggesting that.

 

Welcome to our forum btw, schreuderjonkman

[dnewhous]

Basically, the close to Rome they lived, the less keen they were on military service. But, of course, they did supply officers.

 

 

Counterintuitive. The closer to Rome you lived, the more likely you were to be on the beneficial end of the Empire. I suppose it's a lot like today where the more wealthy you are the more likely you are to protest the military and the less likely to serve...

 

Which is why I think, incidentally, George Lucas is on to something with the droid and clone army ideas. As a society gets less and less willing to volunteer for military service and technology advances, I find his ideas quite plausible.