How far can a Roman Legionary March?

[Vibius Tiberius Costa]

So how far can a roman walk or march. I've heard near 30 miles in a legion in one day.

How far would a legion that isn't in a rush, march in one day?

How far would a legion march if they were needed immediatly?

How much does terrain effect marching (obviously a lot), are ttheir aspects of agincourt somewhere in roman history?

Specific example: How many days would it take to get from Rome to the Apennines (en route to Ariminum)?

The how many days to go right through them?

 

If anyone answers thank you

 

vtc

[Primus Pilus]

So how far can a roman walk or march. I've heard near 30 miles in a legion in one day.

How far would a legion that isn't in a rush, march in one day?

How far would a legion march if they were needed immediatly?

How much does terrain effect marching (obviously a lot), are ttheir aspects of agincourt somewhere in roman history?

Specific example: How many days would it take to get from Rome to the Apennines (en route to Ariminum)?

The how many days to go right through them?

 

If anyone answers thank you

 

vtc

 

Vegetius provides some insight in De Re Militari Book 1. He states that Legionaries should march 20 miles in 5 summer hours at normal pace and 24 miles at "full step". The passage in Chapter IX (Initial Training):

The first thing the soldiers are to be taught is the military step, which can only be acquired by constant practice of marching quick and together. Nor is anything of more consequence either on the march or in the line than that they should keep their ranks with the greatest exactness. For troops who march in an irregular and disorderly manner are always in great danger of being defeated. They should march with the common military step twenty miles in five summer-hours, and with the full step, which is quicker, twenty-four miles in the same number of hours. If they exceed this pace, they no longer march but run, and no certain rate can be assigned.

 

Later, when describing ongoing monthly training, he states that Romans were expected to meet these conditions regardless of terrain (from ch. XXVII):

It was a constant custom among the old Romans, confirmed by the Ordinances of Augustus and Hadrian, to exercise both cavalry and infantry three times in a month by marches of a certain length. The foot were obliged to march completely armed the distance of ten miles from the camp and return, in the most exact order and with the military step which they changed and quickened on some part of the march. Their cavalry likewise, in troops and properly armed, performed the same marches and were exercised at the same time in their peculiar movement and evolutions; sometimes, as if pursuing the enemy, sometimes retreating and returning again with greater impetuosity to the charge. They made these marches not in plain and even ground only, but both cavalry and infantry were ordered into difficult and uneven places and to ascend or descend mountains, to prepare them for all kinds of accidents and familiarize them with the different maneuvers that the various situations of a country may require.

Also just be advised that this translation of Vegetius seems to have been slightly abridged. It should have no impact on what you are looking for here as these details have not changed, but if necessary here is the original in Latin.

 

As for marching from Rome to Ariminum... by the Via Flaminia it was roughly 169 Roman miles (according to Strabo. He actually uses 1350 Stadia as the unit of measurement (125 passus in a stadia *1,350 stadia = 169,000 passus * 5 feet in a passus = 845,000 ft./5,000 ft. in a Roman mile. = 169 miles) That would mean that a legion could walk from Rome to Ariminum in about 8.5 days at normal pace. 7 days at quick pace. In an absolute emergency, they'd probably march more than 5 hours though.

[caldrail]

Also, the roman mile was a little shorter than the modern one I believe?

[Nephele]

Also, the roman mile was a little shorter than the modern one I believe?

 

I believe Primus Pilus covered that when he gave the Roman mile of 5,000 feet. Our modern-day mile is equal to 5,280 feet.

 

(125 passus in a stadia *1,350 stadia = 169,000 passus * 5 feet in a passus = 845,000 ft./5,000 ft. in a Roman mile. = 169 miles)

 

-- Nephele

[Primus Pilus]

Also, the roman mile was a little shorter than the modern one I believe?

 

I believe Primus Pilus covered that when he gave the Roman mile of 5,000 feet. Our modern-day mile is equal to 5,280 feet.

 

(125 passus in a stadia *1,350 stadia = 169,000 passus * 5 feet in a passus = 845,000 ft./5,000 ft. in a Roman mile. = 169 miles)

 

-- Nephele

 

Indeed, it would be roughly 160 modern miles. However, while I was looking for the distance between Rome and Arminum (Rimini), I kept stumbling upon conflicting distances on the Via Flaminia. Several texts suggest that the road was about 210 miles in total. However, this may account for the fact that the road splits off between Rome and Arminum and heads more easterly towards Ancona. Both roads maintain the Via Flaminia name, so this probably accounts for the additional mileage.

 

According to a travel website I managed to find (it was surprisingly difficult to find the distance between these two cities), it seems that air travel distance is about 149 miles. That would seem to corroborate Strabo's estimate when we factor in the several twists and turns in the road.