1. What was equipment like for a Roman legionary in the army?
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2. Learning objective – to be able to know the uses of and assess the equipment of a Roman soldier.
I can describe some of the equipment of a Roman soldier
Level 3/4
I can explain the importance of the equipment of a Roman soldier.
Level 5
I can explain and begin to evaluate the equipment of a Roman soldier.
Level 6

3. What weapons were given to a Roman legionary?
Pilum [a javelin]
Gladius [a short sword]
A dagger
A shield
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4. The pilum was 2 metres long and a soldier had two each.
A pilum
The pilum was 2 metres long and a soldier had two each.
The point of the pilum was very thin and on a wooden shaft. This would mean the point would go through flesh very easily.
A soldier would throw his pilum at the enemy before he fought them face-to-face.
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5. The Romans preferred short swords, called a gladius, to fight with.
These swords were best used in close combat where legionaries would use them to stab at the enemy.
The blade was 50cm long and was double-edged so it could cut through flesh easily.
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6. Dagger
The dagger was double-edged which could slice through flesh very easily.
A legionary wore his dagger on the left-hand side of his belt.
The dagger was made out of iron with a wooden handle.
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7. Shield Roman legionaries used a large, curved shield called a scutum.
Shields were made out of wood and leather with a metal frame.
Shields were not only used to protect a legionary but also as a weapon as the boss in the middle could be used to punch the enemy in the face.
Shields were very heavy and weighed around 8kg.
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8. How were legionaries protected?
The lorica segementata was a leather tunic with metal strips attached. This gave a legionary freedom of movement and effective body protection.
Underneath the armour, a legionary wore a chain mail shirt.
The groin was protected by a belt with studded leather strips.
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9. Helmets Helmets were made out of bronze or iron and lined with felt.
Centurions wore plumed helmets as a sign of authority.
The helmet protected the eyes with a small peak and the cheeks were covered with two metal plates at the side of the head.
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10. Task
You are the owner the Roman shop, Marcus and Spencius, the best provider of Roman army weapons around.
You decide to hold a sale of the most important Roman Army equipment and you need to write an advert designing this sale. On a double page, design your advert, which must contain the following points –
A picture of the most important items.
At least four items for sale.
A description of each item.
The cost of each item. The Roman equivalent of a pound is a sestertius – plural Sestertii
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11. Plenary
This word cloud is about the equipment of a Roman soldier in the shape of an army helmet. Pick out what you consider the four most important words in the word cloud that summarise your learning in this lesson and explain why you have chosen them.