Roman Military Recruitment

Question 1

What is a mercenary?

Answer 1

Somebody who is paid to fight in an army, but they aren’t from that place and they’re not fighting because of duty

Question 2

What is a legionary soldier?

Answer 2

• Soldier in the Roman Army
• Roman citizens, and were more highly paid than other types of soldiers

Question 3

What is an Auxiliary soldier?

Answer 3

• Soldier in the Roman Army
• Not Roman citizens, and were paid less than Legionaries
• They could earn citizenship when they retired

Question 4

How would Roman citizens apply to join the army?

Answer 4

• Bring a letter of recommendation from a respectable person in their community
• He would appear in front of a group of examiners

Question 5

What would examiners assess a Roman man for?

Answer 5

• Watchful eyes
• Good posture
• Broad chest
• Muscled shoulders and arms
• They preferred carpenters, butchers, smiths and hunters

Question 6

What would happen once a Roman was accepted into the army?

Answer 6

He would be given some money to pay for his journey to join his legion

Question 7

How did a Legionary soldier’s salary work?

Answer 7

• Paid by the State
• Came from taxes and spoils of war

Question 8

What was a Legionary’s salary like under Augustus and Domitian?

Answer 8

Augustus- 225 denarii per anum
Domitian- 300 denarii per anum

Question 9

What did Augustus change about the Roman army and navy?

Answer 9

• He setup Rome’s first full time army and navy
• This meant there was always a large army of professional soldiers who were loyal to the Emperor

Question 10

What was the Roman army like before Augustus?

Answer 10

• Soldiers were recruited when needed
• Salaries paid by individual generals
• Frequent civil wars as generals would fight one another with their armies

Question 11

What would Legionaries do with their salary?

Answer 11

• Pay for their own food, clothing and equipment
• Paid into a ‘pension scheme’ to pay for burial if they died

Question 12

What would happen if a legionary was given an honourable discharge?

Answer 12

• Happened either at end of service (25 years) or after an injury
• Rewarded 3000 denarii or land to become a farmer on

Question 13

What is the difference between Greek and Roman armies?

Answer 13

Greek armies were CITIZEN armies, but Roman armies were PROFESSIONAL

Question 14

What benefits did Roman citizenship have?

Answer 14

• Right to vote in popular assemblies
• Right to hold property
• Right to a legally-recognised marriage, and for any children to be citizens
• Protection from torture and the death sentence

Question 15

Where would Auxiliary soldiers not be allowed to fight?

Answer 15

• In their province of birth
• This was to reduce the chance of an armed rebellion

Question 16

What were some Auxiliaries recruited for?

Answer 16

Special abilities, usually attached to their province of origin
- Soldiers from Syria and Scythia were often used as archers

Question 17

How did recruitment for the Roman navy work?

Answer 17

• Tended to be made up of Auxiliary soldiers
• Usually recruited from coastal provinces such as Greece, Phonecia and Egypt