Key facts Flashcards
How many legionaries in 1 legion?
4800
How many cohorts in 1 legion?
10
How many centuries in 1 cohort?
6
How many men in 1 century?
80-100
Who were the men lead by?
A centurion.
What was the role of the centurion?
Would train the men physically and mentally, and made sure they followed orders
Characteristics of a centurion?
Smart and Strong, but can also be cruel.
What was an auxiliary?
A soldier in the army thought of to be second class to regular soldiers. They would work for less money with the promise that after 25 years they would become roman citizens.
Where did they come from?
These were doctors, clerks, engineers, scribes, map makers and even soldiers from lands conquered by the Romans who volunteered to fight for the Romans.
Three defensive tactics
Repel cavalry, the orb, the tortoise
What was the orb? When was it used?
The legionaries form a circle around the officers and the archers (these were the most important people!) using their shields as protection. Seen as a ‘desperate last stand’. It was used If part of the army had been split off from the main group or encircled by the enemy.
What was the repel cavalry? When was it used?
he soldiers form a line, with the men at the front crouching down with their shields in front of them and their spears stick out of the gaps. The men behind put their shields over the top of the men in front and have their spears ready to throw. The spears would stop horses from running at the soldiers, often causing them to retreat. Those retreating would then knock into the cavalry behind them, causing a domino effect and making themselves easy targets for archers. It was used To combat a cavalry charge.
What was the tortoise? When was it used?
The Tortoise is square. The men at the front hold their shields in front of them. The men at the sides hold their shields to the sides. The men in the middle hold their shields above them. The men had to move in close formation to ensure that the shields were touching so that no missiles could get in and injure any soldiers. It was used To advance but remain protected from spears, arrows, etc.
Attacking formation
The wedge
What was the wedge? When was it used?
The centurion is at the front of the ‘V’ and the legionaries form the sides of the ‘V’ . They have to stay close together to stop the enemy from breaking the line. As the wedge advances, more soldiers join on at the ends to divide the enemy even further. Breaking the enemy formation was key to winning on the Roman battlefield! It was used to aggressively divide the enemy
