Roman Military History Timeline 900 Bc - 575 Bc

[Favonius Cornelius]

I'd like to try an experiment by investigating each step of the evolution of the Roman military machine by following its progress in chronological order. In each post of this series, if this should prove to be fruitful, I'll outline the important events, battles and innovations of the Roman people, and pose questions to the general community. Hopefully we can stir up some interesting conversation and all learn a thing or two!

 

 

Roman Military History Timeline 900 BC - 575 BC; The Birth of Rome

 

Villages were founded on the hills which would later coalecse into the village of Rome. Rome's position in Italia provides little in the way of protection other than the Tibur to the north which could serve as a general line of defense from armies marching south. This ensures the possibility of invasion and conflict in all directions.

 

The military warbands formed by Rome were most probably armed with spears mostly (a good tool for hunting as well as making war), though some may have been armed with Greek style swords. For armor, helmets and pectorials could be avaliable, with ancile shields a commonly seen form.

 

In these early days little can be said for sure, but it is possible that the Salii brotherhoods, the obscure religious colleges popularly known to be reinstated by Augustus, is a reflection of village Rome's military preparations. The two colleges, the Salii Palatini as connected with Mars, and the Salii Collini as connected with Quirinus, can be seen as an element of the gradual joining of communities on the Palatine and Quirinal hills. The martial nature of these brotherhoods suggest an origin of warrior bands bound by oath to serve their god of war. The requirement in joining this brotherhood in later Republican times of having both parents alive suggests actual military service, and of being a Patrician also reminds one of the propertied requirements of later legionaries who would have to equip themselves.

 

Possibly the early military organization of the village of Rome consisted of the sons of the leading families united in warbands, loosly skirmishing with whichever border communities were hostile at the time under the protections of the god of war. Cavalry at this time was probably mostly unknown.

 

 

Questions:

 

Was Rome created as a Latin buffer to the expanding Etruscans in the north?

Was Etruscan influence truly as the legends tell, were the kings really the overlords of Latium and Rome? Did these Etruscan kings rule Rome and Latium as colonies, or could they be seen politically as a part of greater Etruria?

 

 

The Harper Encyclopedia of Military History

Edited September 13, 2006 by Favonius Cornelius

[caldrail]

Its difficult to pinpoint the origin of Rome because early writers smothered it with legend and myth. Etruscan kings did rule the area and they did so as part of their realm, not as a seperate province. From the etruscan view it was simply etruscan territory. From the roman view it was a city ruled by foreign kings.

 

Early warbands were very ad hoc formations of lightly armed and armoured men. Typical protection was a smll square or circular breastplate, possibly greaves if you could afford them, and a simple helmet.

 

Warbands such as these would have been used for a raiding style of conflict rather than the organised campaigning of later periods. In fact, organisation would have been poor. Warbands would have relied on foraging from the local area.

[Favonius Cornelius]

I bet in this early period also that warfare could practically be made during any time of the year. Most folks tend to think of 'campaign seasons' since indeed the winter did suppress the ability to organize masses of men. In these days, a group of a hundred was not a logistical difficulty!

 

It also helps if your raiding is only conducted in a 50 mile perimeter.

[Antiochus of Seleucia]

To add to that Favonius, the central/southern Italy doesn't really experience snow (I think...), so 'seasons' there wouldn't be governed by weather. The early Latins would have been in a hellenistically influenced warband. I believe they were in semi-organised lines of phalanxes, but with significantly shorter spears. The triarii were a remnant of these warbands.

Edited September 11, 2006 by Antiochus of Seleucia

[Favonius Cornelius]

That is indeed an important consideration of the aspect of winter. Snow and rains make the land difficult to move through. Also it makes foraging difficult, since people's crops are not growing, animals hibernating, and fruit waiting for sping.

 

The hoplite tactics you speak of are certainly a part of the early Roman experience, but I think would belong to the very next stage of evolution of the Roman art of war, which I'll post on in the next few days.

[M. Porcius Cato]

The hoplite tactics you speak of are certainly a part of the early Roman experience

 

What is the evidence that makes it certain? We know a few picked troops had hoplite armor, but what's the evidence that enough had the armor and training to use hoplite tactics?

[Favonius Cornelius]

The hoplite tactics you speak of are certainly a part of the early Roman experience

 

What is the evidence that makes it certain? We know a few picked troops had hoplite armor, but what's the evidence that enough had the armor and training to use hoplite tactics?

 

A good question, one which I would like to get to with the next installment of the timeline, where I'll present more information on the introduction of such things (or lack thereof ). This is more of the very dawn of the Roman identy, the tribal existance.

[roman wargamer]

I'll outline the important events, battles and innovations of the Roman people

Roman Military History Timeline 900 BC - 575 BC; The Birth of Rome

O! what a tough and tall call for FC. we expect you could make it lively.

 

Questions:

Was Rome created as a Latin buffer to the expanding Etruscans in the north?

Rome arise with elected monarchy chosen by the patrician, under Etruscan.

[DecimusCaesar]

Dioynysius of Halicarnassus says that the Etruscan towns of Falerii and Fescennium preserved Hoplite equipment "Their type of weaponry: argolic Shields and Spears" - It was from here that these types of weapons spread to Rome. They adopted the equipment after having suffered many defeats at the hands (or should that be spears?) of the Etruscan Phalanx.

The new type Hoplite army was made possible by the reforms of Servius Tullius (578-534 BC) who changed the nature of Roman recruitment from race to residence increasing the size of the army as well as creating richer Romans who could afford to buy the equipment. Only the wealthy fought as Hoplites 'Classis' while those who could not afford the equipment fought as 'infra classem' - light armed troops.

[caldrail]

A previous post of mine was a bit misleading - I should point out that the earliest romans voted for their kings in much the same way as dark age english. So although the kings weren't latin it didn't mean that they were invaders.

[Favonius Cornelius]

A previous post of mine was a bit misleading - I should point out that the earliest romans voted for their kings in much the same way as dark age english. So although the kings weren't latin it didn't mean that they were invaders.

 

That's an important point indeed! I have heard conflicting things about the degree of Etruscan domination of early Rome, and knowing more about it would lead to knowing more about its military affairs as well. Seems over all like many things this far back, a consensis is still being built or never will be fully established.

 

O! what a tough and tall call for FC. we expect you could make it lively.

 

Thank you RW! I hope to make as much chatter as possible, and I hope you can help. With a name like that you are bound to know much about Roman military history.

[roman wargamer]

O! what a tough and tall call for FC. we expect you could make it lively.

 

hello FC, are you not going tackle more the "Roman Military History Timeline 900 Bc - 575 Bc."

 

i like it best.

you are like an anabatic that could precede the development of thunderhead emotion and idea.

 

The Fetials, Priests of War was also a good one.

[Favonius Cornelius]

you are like an anabatic that could precede the development of thunderhead emotion and idea

 

Why thank you! Er....huh?

 

 

Ya I know I've been lazy, I will get to it give me some time. I promise.

[roman wargamer]

you are like an anabatic that could precede the development of thunderhead emotion and idea

Why thank you! Er....huh?

anabatic simply refers to warming air or wind

that are doing an upward movement that could produce thundering weather.

 

i remember it after a strong typhoon in our country, even my second floor room was partly destroyed.

 

hoping we can see your research from your good collection of book. have a shoot and goodluck FC.

i like to compare it with my understanding how, what and who are the tribe/city/state membership.

[Callaecus]

I think Favonius Cornelius is probably correct in his analysis of early Roman warfare based in warbands. The hoplite formation and style of warfare is a Greek invention and one that was later adopted by the Romans through the Greeks living in Southern Italy. Obviouslly, it is not impossible that Greek equipment was sometimes used (maybe it was better or more prestigious, for example), but that does not mean the Greek style of Warfare was also used. To make a modern analogy, the AK-47, was initially used in Soviet armies but it was also later used by guerrilla groups in the Third World.