Curiosities of ancient Rome (Army)
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Lost eagles of Roman army
The Roman army was one of the best in the world for a reason. However, despite many victories, this unbeatable machine also had numerous failures. However, the most shameful defeat took place when the legion lost its eagle. The legionary ... Read more
Corvus – Roman method of fighting at sea
The primary method of attacking the Roman fleet was by boarding. Rome developed its power through a land army, therefore naval combat was a problem for a long time, and lack of skill often led to defeats. The solution was ... Read more
3 key Roman armor
Roman legions conquered more peoples and lands not only thanks to their organization and discipline but also thanks to armament that was really high quality. In addition to offensive equipment (pilum, pugio, gladius) also had very good armour. The Romans ... Read more
Ancient Rome and the right to own weapons
Ancient Romans, unlike modern Americans, did not think that citizenship automatically entitled them to possess sharp weapons. It was recognized that such freedom could lead to many dangers. From the very beginning of Rome, one could say that there were ... Read more
Caesar’s idea to improve the equipment
During the Civil War (49-45 BCE), Julius Caesar’s soldiers were regularly hailed by missiles ejected and fired by the Republican side. Caesar decided to improve the equipment of his legionaries. During the battle of Dyrrachium, on July 10, 48 BCE, ... Read more
Various legionary weapons
The graphics show legionaries from the reign of Octavian Augustus. In mass culture, an erroneous image of Roman legions as a formation composed of equally equipped soldiers has formed. In fact, the Roman army was not uniform in terms of ... Read more
Tirones – what recruits were sought for Roman legions?
New recruits in the Roman army were called tirones. Their implementation and service could take up to six months before they could be called a real soldier (miles). Vegetius, a historian from the 4th century CE, described what was guided ... Read more
Dogs on battlefield
Ancient Egyptians were the first to use dogs on the battlefield. Those proved to be so effective that managed themselves during one of the battles between rebellious slaves and the royal army possessing those dogs. However, they proved to be ... Read more
Exercises of Roman legionaries
What made Roman legionaries stand out was the ability to act in a group and fight in various weather conditions. In addition, they were disciplined, well-equipped, and of course perfectly trained and durable. So what did their training look like? ... Read more
Roman testudo – defensive formation of legions
Romans used the testudo formation to protect themselves from the enemy’s fire. The legionaries resembled a turtle-covered shell – hence the name. It was a compact rectangular formation in which the legionaries (usually 27) from the first row and the ... Read more
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