Ancient Rome: A History From Beginning to End (Ancient Civilizations Book 1) by Hourly History

Author:Hourly History [History, Hourly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hourly History
Published: 2016-12-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Rulers of the World

“We find that the Romans owed the conquest of the world to no other cause than continual military training, exact observance of discipline in their camps, and unwearied cultivation of the other arts of war.”

—Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus

During the first three hundred years of the first millennium CE, to rule in Rome was to be the ruler of the known world, or at least the world that mattered to Romans. Of course, the instrument of the Empire was Rome’s powerful legions. Few nations were able to resist these legendary forces. Those that tried and failed met with a brutal response. There was also, however, a more subtle invasion of Roman culture that played a role in Rome’s mastery of the Empire.

In 43 CE, the Roman army began an invasion of the unconquered island of Britannia, at the farthest edges of the Empire. Roman ships made land on the southern coast of Great Britain, near what is now Kent. Mainland western Europe was already part of the Empire. This push into England would mark the farthest the Roman Empire would ever extend. This border was made physical when Emperor Hadrian built his 80-mile-long wall in 122 CE. During this time, the Mediterranean Sea was often referred to as a “Roman lake,” as it was completely bordered by Roman lands. The system of Roman roads stretched from England to Egypt, facilitating the spread of Roman culture, as well as Roman legions outwards across the Empire. Trade was also encouraged by the ease of travel. Goods from Africa might be found in the same home as goods from Germany or Spain. All of this trade and growing infrastructure was based on the might of the Roman legions, and the engineering skills they brought along with their fighting prowess. Rome would remain the focus of power in the known world for hundreds of years, finally falling in 476 CE.

At its height, the Roman army was a seemingly unstoppable force of conquest. The Roman legions were made up of professional, highly trained, and disciplined soldiers whom all had the best armor and weaponry available at the time. Although many different types of equipment were used by the military during the hundreds of years Rome was in power, there were a few items that were mainstays.

The vast majority of the Roman army was the infantry or foot soldiers. These men wore helmets called cassis, coats of mail, and greaves known as ocrea. They had shields and carried swords and spears. Gladius is the Roman word for sword, but this could be used to identify short swords as well as long, and individual soldiers might have either, or both, along with a small dagger known as a pugio. Infantry soldiers in the Roman army also famously carried an entrenching tool that allowed them to turn from the business of fighting to the business of preparing for fighting. Soldiers also performed other engineering tasks such as building roads, bridges, and fortified camps.

Beyond the infantry, the Roman army would include cavalry regiments.

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