What was the Roman Army like? The Romans Army What was the Roman Army like? Objectives: To identify or find out what the Roman army was like To identify ways the Roman army worked.

Where was the Roman army? Under the leadership of ambitious generals, Rome’s highly trained soldiers took over most of the land surrounding the Mediterranean. The ancient Romans called the Mediterranean mare nostrum, meaning “our sea”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8urHPkaKd4

Glossary Words Conquer = Defeat and take over their land   General = A leader of an army Recruited = Asked to join something Legionary = An ordinary soldier in the Roman Army Auxiliaries = Soldiers in the Roman Army who aren't Roman - from land the Romans had conquered Cavalry = Soldiers on horses Barrack room = Where the soldiers sleep Century = About 80 soldiers Centurion = A leader of a century Cohort = 6 centuries Legion = 10 cohorts

The Army built an Empire

The Legionnaire

Activities Read the text and highlight at least 4 similarities between the Roman Army and F.C. Barcelona. Answer the following question in your exercise book: What were the three most important reasons in making the Roman army so successful? Explain your answer.

Discipline and Tactics The Romans used strict punishment to keep the soldiers loyal. Any mutiny or cowardice resulted in decimation (one in every ten soldier was killed). They scared the local people (100,000 out of 2 million British people were killed). They also had formations like the “Testudo” (the “Tortoise) which you can see in the photo. Total Commitment All Legionaries were volunteers (they chose to become a soldier). They stayed in the army for 20-25 years. They were not allowed to get married. They were sent anywhere in the Roman Empire, often far away from their homes. The army became their family. The Best Equipment Roman soldiers had spears / javelins, swords, daggers, shields and body armour. Their armour and weapons were constantly tested and improved. Good Rewards Roman soldiers were paid well. They were given good food and every fort had a hospital and baths. After 25 years, Legionaries retired 10 years’ pay or a small farm. International Squad As the Roman army conquered new colonies, they got the best local fighters to join the army. When the Romans conquered Britain 9000 British men joined up! Other soldiers came from France, Spain, Hungary, Syria, Iraq and Algeria. Excellent Training and Fitness Romans trained hard and learnt how to follow orders. They had to be able to march 32kms in 5 hours with all of their equipment! Mobility / Transport The Romans were experts in building good straight roads and strong bridges so their soldiers could move about very quickly.

ALLIANCE Sometimes people would feel threatened by other tribes and ask the Romans to help them. These tribes would form an alliance (make an agreement) with the Romans saying that they would help each other out in times of trouble: this usually meant that the Roman Army would go and stay in this place.

After 509BC, Rome began to expand After 509BC, Rome began to expand. The Roman Army conquered most of Western Europe, as well as parts of Asia and North Africa. The Romans fought over 20 wars, and a total of 2567 battles. The Roman Army is recognised by historians as an extremely effective fighting machine.