SOLDIERS

Roman soldiers were equipped with a short sword called a Gladius, and a javelin called a Pila. Soldiers were also equipped with a large, and curved rectangular shield called a Scutum, which offered maximum protection. The size and shape of these shields made maneuvers such as the Testudo (tortus) possible and effective. The Pilae had wooden shafts with a long, thin tip made of lead. They were specifically designed so that when thrown, the impact with either an enemy or the ground would bend the tip, which rendered it impossible to throw back. The regular Roman army was reinforced by the Auxiliaries (cavalry). There were eight basic divisions of the Roman Equitas. Turmae, the most basic unit of cavalry, consisting of 32 troopers or Eques Alaris. Alae, which means "wing", consisted of 512 men. Ala Milliariae were composed of roughly 1000 troopers. Equites Legionis were attached directly to the Legion and were considered regular Legionaries of immunes rank. They originally consisted of 120 men but there may have been 1000 men or more in the Equites Legionis. They fell under of the command of a Centurion or Optio. Cohortes Equitatae were composed of mixed infantry and cavalry but were only organized when the need arose. Cohors Quingenaria were composed of 120 infantry and 380 cavalry. Cohors Milliaria Requitata consisted of 249 infantry and 760 cavalry. The Equites Singulares protected the Emperor, they were called Equites Singulares Augusti.

(Evan Smithers) http://www.unrv.com/military/roman-cavalry.php

The life of a Roman soldier was difficult and strenuous. They were trained to march at least twenty miles a day wearing 80 pounds of their gear and supplies. They needed to have the ability to climb mountains, chop through forests, and be able to fight any enemy wherever they were in the empire. The majority of the time spent by Roman soldiers was building walls, forts, and roads. In addition, they were expected to erect wooden stockades and dig ditches for defense. However, though the pay was meager and the life was difficult, being in the military gained citizens a huge amount of honor and glory. They were occasionally given decorations to wear for loyal or valiant actions in battle.

(Chris Shoemaker) http://www.roman-colosseum.info/roman-army/roman-soldiers.htm

Only men could be soldiers in Rome and they typically had to be at least twenty years old. The Army was divided into thirty legions consisting of 3,000 to 6,000 soldiers (called legionaries) total. Each legion had ten cohorts, which was made of six troops of eighty legionaries (called centuries). Each century was led by a Centurion. In order to distinguish the Centurion he held a rod. Roman soldiers were dressed in armor made of iron and leather, protected by a rectanguliar shield they carried, and an iron helmet worn on their heads. As for weapons, soilders had a short sword for stabing and a long spear called a javelin to launch at enemies. As for war stratigies, the Centurion would order his soldiers to form a Testudo when they were being attacked from above. The Testudo forms a tortoise shell with the shields of the soldiers.

(Grace Cawdrey) http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/romans/the_roman_army/

Every freeborn citizen between the ages of seventeen and forty-six were required to enlist in the Roman army. Later on rules changed, making landless city dwellers, along with citizens of other provinces soldiers of Rome. The roman soldiers were expected to run/hike twenty miles per day, while wearing eighty pounds of their supplies and protection. The soldiers also had to have the ability to swim through rivers, climb mountains, hike through forest, and be able to conquer any natural challenge that faced them. Roman citizens would enlist in the army expecting to die in battle. After enlisting, the only importance to the soldiers were their legions, which were the groups of four-thousand soldiers in which they would partake with in combat.

(Leo Fried) http://www.roman-colosseum.info/roman-army/roman-soldiers.htm

How wealthy the Roman was, was the factor in how much they could gear they could have in terms of armor and weapons. The wealthiest people could get a spear, a sword, a helmet, a breastplate, greaves, and also a shield that was rounded. Everything besides the spear and sword were bronze. People of the lower classes had less items from the army given to them than of those who were rich. The fifth class in fact, had nothing but slings, and had no armor. This would definitely make them more susceptible to death in combat. The army officers and the cavalry were picked by the top officials of Rome.

(Keith Mandel) Roman empire