Roman army
10 facts about there life, tactics, weaponry and armor!
The ten facts
1. There were three types of troop groups
Century About 80–100 men
Cohort Six centuries
Legion Ten cohorts
2. A Roman soldier, once he joined the Roman Army had to serve for twenty years.
3. Each legion marched into battle behind a standard — a tall pole with a silver eagle at the top. This symbol of the ‘king of the birds’ represented the legion's power.
4. Sandals had to be strong and well ventilated to stand up to long marches. A special pattern of iron studs was hammered into the leather soles to support the weight of the soldier evenly, and help protect the soles.
5. The dagger had a double-edged blade.
6. These tall, crested helmets helped soldiers see their leaders in battle.
7. Roman forts were often protected against attack by palisades — sharp stakes of wood dug into the ground (some with barbs attached).
8. Soldiers often stood side by side and overlapped their shields to form a protective cover called a testudo. The word ‘testudo’ comes from the Latin word for tortoise.
9. the head of the heavy javelin was connected to the shaft by a long, thin strip of soft iron. When the point penetrated an enemy's shield, this strip would bend, making the javelin impossible to remove.
10. When not marching or fighting, the soldiers, called legionaries, built camps, roads, walls and aqueducts. Sometimes camps were temporary; at other times, they became permanent forts that often developed into towns. They were always laid out the same way. This meant that soldiers knew how to build them and find their way around them.