Army Flashcards
How was the army formed and how long did the soldiers serve for during the republic?
forced to join for as long as they were needed
Who paid the troops during the republic?
They were paid out of the good will of their commander using the plunder they had gained
What were problems with armies in the republic?
- no army ready to man growing size of the empire
- too much of the burden falls on Italians
- no provision for regular pay of soldiers
- troops depend on commanders for rewards at end of service
- loyalty to generals and not state
- auxiliaries recruited from different provinces, but no formal system of organisation here
- nay was on ad-hoc basis too
What did qualities did an ideal army need to have?
- big enough for needs of defending the frontiers
- not so big that it was a financial drain on Rome and Augustus
- no so big that it was impossible to keep a tight grip on its loyalty
What was Augustus’ formalised service of a Roman legionary?
- 20 years of service
- 225 denarii a year
- bonus of 3000 denarii at end of service
Who originally supplied the money to the new legions? What did this do? How were the men payed after? Who tells us this?
Augustus
Secured the loyalty of the men to him
Augustus asked military treasury to be set up when he didn’t have sufficient funds – funded through taxation
Cassius Dio
What were auxiliaries? Who were they commanded by? How long did they serve for? What happened after their term?
provincial soldiers who were not Roman citizens and so could not be legionaries
equestrian prefect
25 years
granted Roman citizenship
How does Suetonius describe Augustus?
sold a Roman knight and property because he made his sons unfit for military service, but when someone showed interest in buying him made him a freedman and banished him
punished centurions who left their posts with death
made everyone call troops “soldiers”, even family members, and not “comrades” to keep discipline.
