Method for quick siege
In 60 CE, during the reign of Emperor Nero, the commander of the Roman army – Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo besieged the Armenian capital of Tigranocerta.
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Curiosities of ancient Rome (Army)
The world of ancient Romans abounded in a number of amazing curiosities and information. The source of knowledge about the life of the Romans are mainly works left to us by ancient writers or discoveries. The Romans left behind a lot of strange information and facts that are sometimes hard to believe.
Elephants in Roman army?
Romans rarely used elephants in battle. Several pieces captured on Pyrrhus were present at the triumph of Manius Curius Dentatus in Rome in 275 BCE. However, it is not known what happened to these animals later. Perhaps they shared the fate of about 140 elephants captured by Lucius Metellus Pontyfex in Sicily in the battles with the Carthaginians, who died in the arena after the triumph of the victorious leader. As you can see, the chiefs of the city on the Tiber did not initially appreciate the value of these animals. At the turn of the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE
Conducting trenches
Trenching was an important method of siege warfare in antiquity. According to legend, during the siege of the Etruscan capital Veii in 396 BCE, Roman soldiers digging the tunnel heard a bard over them proclaiming that the victory would be given to the side that offered the gods first to sacrifice the sacred parts of the sacrificial animal.
Short javelins – plumbatae
In the Roman legion, apart from the usual javelins (pilum), a type of short javelin (plumbatae) was also used. Plumbata was a kind of a dart approximately 60 cm with a lead load (ball), thanks to which the dart was stable during the flight. Its operation was similar to that of pilum with the difference, however, that it could be thrown much further. Thongs or something like wooden hand-held launchers was used for this.
Velites – young javelin throwers
Velites, Roman javelin throwers, composed of young and poor men, could not afford to buy Roman armour (lorica hamata), worn by professional legionaries. Therefore, they put on animal skins to emphasize their strength and prowess.
Evolution of patronage in late Roman Empire
In Roman society, the existence of a patron-client relationship was common. Most often, a poor citizen or a liberator submitted to a higher-ranking Roman who, through his position and property, could act in favour of the client. In return, the client was the patron’s support and support, e.g. during elections. Moreover, having many clients aroused respect and strengthened the position of the patron in society. In the 4th century CE however, patronage (patrocinium) changed and the patron-client relationship began to hit the state directly.
Prohibition of service in Roman legions
In the light of social norms or Roman law, from the earliest years of its existence, the Roman state limited access to military service. Only Roman citizens (cives Romani) had the right or duty to serve in the legions, and foreigners (peregrini), slaves (servi) or criminals were not.
Camp life of Romans
In each Roman military camp, latrines were built, fed with running water from nearby streams. The analysis of the contents of the septic tank rinsed from these sanitary facilities allowed archaeologists to reconstruct the diet of Roman soldiers (it turns out that not only digging in the ground but also in… excrement can be extremely beneficial for science). The thing is, there are some remnants of the digested seeds there. Here in cold Britain, on the line of fortifications known as Hadrian’s Wall, products such as olives, figs and dates were often eaten, although apples were also not scorned.
