Citizen levies, enlisted temporarily and providing their own equipment, served Rome's needs for short local campaigns; but not for aggressive wars of expansion, or for establishing garrisons, on distant fronts. From about 100 BC the dictator Gaius Marius began a major programme of reforms; these led directly to the very different army organised by the first emperor, Augustus Caesar, in the aftermath of the long civil wars from which he emerged supreme in 30 AD.The early Imperial legion was nominally some 5,500 strong, composed of a single class of heavy armoured infantrymen (apart from 120 cavalry scouts and messengers). It was divided into ten "cohorts" about 480 strong, each of six centuries of about 80 men; from the mid-1st Century AD the elite First Cohort in each legion was increased to around 800 men in five doublesize centuries. Centuries and cohorts were led by centurions, now promoted from the ranks on merit.The legionary recruit had to be a citizen - a civic status steadily extended outwards from the heartland to embrace first all Italians, and later men from various provinces of the empire. He signed on for 25 years' salaried service, with the hope of bonuses marking important victories, the accession of a new emperor, etc.; and the promise of a generous discharge gratuity or land grant. These land grants were made in "colonies", settlements planted in the provinces, to increase the Romanisation of the empire.The army became an attractive career for the poorer classes of Italy and, later, the older provinces such as Gaul, Spain, Dalmatia, etc.Under Augustus there were initially 28 legions; some were wiped out, some disbanded in disgrace, some raised as replacements, but the usual number at any period was around 30 - never more than 33 or less than 25. Each legion had a number, and many had names - recalling the emperor who raised them, regions where they had been raised or had served,or various honorifics; extra titles were sometimes added to honour distinguished service, e.g. Martia Victrix, "victorious in war".

At around the end of the chaotic 3rd Century the classic legions seem largely to have been broken up, rationalising the practical results of years of improvisation under pressure. Many "vexillations" - detachments - had been stripped away from thelegions based around the frontiers, to support the claims of pretenders to the throne or to resist attacks on other provinces, often never to return. Both the much weakened rump legions and their distant detachments - averaging perhaps 1,000 men seem to have been given formal identity "in place" as legions, many serving henceforward with the new mobile field armies.The reconstructions shown in this book are based upon thestandard interpretations of various types of evidence - sculptures, mosaics and wall- paintings; archaeological finds; and written sources. The reader must always bear in mind, however, that surviving evidence is sparse, fragmentary, and seldom closely datable; it usually lacks context, and its interpretation even by the most scholarly authorities is often little more than educated guesswork. The subject of the Imperial Roman army - like all ancient history - is like a jigsaw puzzle with a thousand pieces; we have found ten or twenty pieces, one or two of which seem to fit together, here and there - but the exact context of most of our individual discoveries remains more or less mysterious.
During the 50s BC the political adventurer G.Julius D Caesar, entrusted by the Senate with command of an army of up to 11 legions, proved himself a brilliant and ruthless general in a series of almost genocidal victories over the unruly tribes of central and northern Gaul (modern Franceand Belgium).Roman infantry tactics seem to have been fairly straightforward; they were successful because they were coordinated, under central command, by drilled and disciplined soldiers. Most of their enemies were strong, brave, but individualistic warriors who lacked any effective command and control, or any culture of co-ordinated obedience. They were therefore vulnerable to confusion, and seldom able to react quickly to changing circumstances.

Arts Products on our marketplace

Sightseeing in Rome and booking italy hotels after having taken a Rome airport shuttle will help you to understand more about the history of Rome.