History remembers the legendary Roman legions as the one of the most deadly and respected fighting forces in the ancient world. Even today, stories of their great success and invincibility in the face of their enemies echo on. One can only wonder what the key to their extraordinary success was. How were the Romans able to conquer such a vast empire that spanned over three continents at its height and maintain that power for centuries? That key to Rome’s military success during the Pax Romana period (where the Roman Empire rose to its zenith) was the advanced military innovations that the Romans incorporated into its great army that encompassed military bureaucracy, battle tactics and military technology.
The old saying, “Success comes to those who are prepared” was comparable to the Roman army. This was due to the fact that The Romans prepared themselves with a very well developed military bureaucracy that planned everything out such as daily routines, how they marched and most importantly military ranks. This meant the roman army was extremely organized and orders followed through very smoothly down the chain of command which was essential to their success. The surviving duty roster RMR 9 (RMR stands for Robert Fink’s Roman Military Records on Papyrus) from of Legio III stationed at Cyrenaica gave a very good perspective of how the Roman army organized daily duties let alone military campaigns. “The tasks in the RMR 9 [included] ornatus Heli, tending the gear of the centurion Helius; […] various guard stations around the camp; scoparius, “sweeper”; and ad stercus, Cleaning latrines or mucking horses’ stalls (Phang, Companion pg.291)”. This surviving piece of duty roster showed how extremely organized the army was by assigning ev...
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...tary. Many of the Roman legion ideology and methods survive in the spirits of the modern army. This in turn demonstrated the immense power of the Roman legions.
Works Cited
Josephus, Flavius, and William Whiston. The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged. [Peabody, Mass.?]: Hendrikson, 1987. Print.
Phang, Sara, and James Thorne. A Companion to the Roman Army. Ed. Paul Erdkamp. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2007. Print.
Tacitus, Cornelius, and J.C Yardley. The Annals. London: Oxford UP, 2008. Print.
Tacitus, Cornelius, and W. H. Fyfe. Gutenberg.org. AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. .
Warry, John Gibson. Warfare in the Classical World: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons, Warriors, and Warfare in the Ancient Civilisations of Greece and Rome. Norman: University of Oklahoma, 1995. Print.
During his reign, Augustus made a number of changes how the Roman military operated. As Rome shifted from a Republic to Empire and the ideas of what Rome was to be was carefully being crafted by Augustus to fit his own narrative, the army went through a number of changes to support the new dynamic of Empire and Emperor. These changes to the army allowed the army to grow to fit its new role, and helped Rome to become a true military power.
Morey, William C. "Outlines of Roman History, Chapter 19." Forum Romanum. 1901. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. .
Antony Kamm ~ The Romans: An Introduction Second Edition, Published in 2008, pages 47, 93
The strength of the Roman military was the string that held the Roman Empire together for as long as it lasted. The military was made up of strictly disciplined men whom were ready and willing to serve their emperor.
Simkin, John. “ Military Tactics of the Roman Army.” spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk. Spartacus Educational, Sept. 1997- June 2013. Web. 9 Nov. 2013.
Dio, Cassius. "Roman History - Book 50." 17 June 2011. University of Chicago. 31 October 2011 .
There are many political, economic, sociological causes to the growth and expansion of the Roman republic and later the Roman Empire, but one major factor of expansion that the Romans are most famous for is there Army. There Army was famous for their harsh discipline amongst their own ranks and there mercifulness brutality amongst their enemies. According to our text Roman warfare was characterized by great ferocity and the Roman pursuit of victory was relentless. The Romans had a pragmatic view towards atrocity and massacre that viewed almost any act as justifiable if it eased the path of victory (Goldsworthy 2000) p. 24. The hoplite phalanx which originated by the Greeks and later adopted by the Roman army, demanded great discipline and adherence to orders in order for this group of soldiers...
Shelton, J.A. (1998). As the Romans Did: A Sourcebook in Roman Social History. (2nd ed.) New York: Oxford University Press.
Farris, Dale. "Shutt, Timothy B.: A History of Ancient Sparta." Library Journal 15 May 2009: 45.
Recruits were taught to march and performed parade drill twice a day. They were taught how to build a camp, swim and ride. A Roman was half a soldier from the start, and he could endure discipline which soon produced the other half (Adcock 5).
“This account I have given the reader, not so much with the intention of commending the Romans, as of comforting those that have been conquered by them, and for the deterring others from attempting innovations under their government. This discourse of the Roman military conduct may also perhaps be of use to such of the curious as are ignorant of it, and yet have a mind to know it.” –excerpt from “Description of the Roman Army,” by Josephus
1. Tim Cornell, John Matthews, Atlas of the Roman World, Facts On File Inc, 1982. (pg.216)
4)Rosenstein, Nathan Stewart., and Robert Morstein-Marx. A Companion to the Roman Republic. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2006. Print.
Rome, even at its beginnings, proved to be a force to be reckoned with. It’s rapid growth and accumulation of power and repeated victories over powerful neighbors set Rome in a position of great authority and influence. As the leader of early Rome, Romulus’ effective command of his men and governance of his people provided the foundation for the building of a great city. Livy emphasizes Romulus’ possible divine origins and strong ties to deities as a validation and reinforcement of his ability to rule. A nation’s sole defense cannot be just bricks and mortar, it requires an army and a will and Romulus was able to successfully take action against the aggressors when action was needed.
and Writers. 4th ed. Ed. John Schlib and John Clifford. Bedford. Boston: Bedford, 2009. 1526-1561. Print.