The Roman Army Flashcards
Define ‘principia’
headquarters
Define ‘praetorium’
living quarters of the commanding officer
Define ‘valetudinarium’
hospital
Define ‘horrea’
granaries
Define ‘sacellum’
a chapel - the most sacred place in any Roman fort
Define ‘aquila’
the standard of the legion
- housed in the sacellum
Define ‘aquilifer’
‘eagle bearer’
- the soldier who looked after the aquila and carried it into battle
How many men did the barrack blocks house?
5000-6000 men
How many men per contubernium?
8 men
How many men in a century?
80 men
Why was a Bath House in a Roman Fort important?
hygiene
social centre
What would happen near Roman Fortresses?
settlements (vici) were set up, gradually developing into towns
- allowed soldiers to meet local women & start families
How long was a Roman soldier to serve in the army?
25 years
How many men in a legion?
5000 foot soldiers
What were the requirements to join the army?
must have proper legal status
have a medical examination
“alert eyes” , “broad-chested with powerful shoulders and brawny arms”
What was the training like for a recruit?
- learn to march at the regulation pace for distances up to 24 Roman miles
- running, jumping, swimming & carrying heavy packs
- practicing with a wooden sword and wicker shield (wooden sword was very heavy to make it ‘easier’ to wield a normal one)
- learning to throw the javelin (pilum)
What was day-to-day life like as a soldier?
a duty roster would split chores between soldiers, often multiple centuries.
- road making, building, tending to the bath-house, working in the armoury/quarries
WAS NOT ALWAYS FIGHTING!!
What was the pay rate for a soldier?
in both war & peacetime
- 300 denarii per annum (Domitian improved)
- used to be 225 denarii per annum
- lots of this money was used to pay for food, clothing and equipment
What would a soldier receive after 25 years of service?
honourable discharge
sum of 3,000 denarii or allocation of land
Who commanded a Century?
A Centurion, assisted by an Optio.
How many Centurions were there in an army?
60 Centurions each commanding their own Century
What was a Legatus?
a commanding offer of a legion
- assisted by 6 tribunes
- member of the Senate in Rome
- usually in charge for short periods of time
