Curiosities of ancient Rome (Army)

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Army is a collection of curiosities about the ancient Roman army and its functioning. This category includes lesser-known facts, interesting information, and unusual details about the legions, weaponry, discipline, tactics, and daily life of soldiers of the Roman Empire.

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…Więcej

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…Więcej

Arcani – Roman agents in Britain

Arcani, also called areani, were agents in Roman military units based in Roman Britain during the later part of the island’s occupation. They were used as both scouts of legions and secret spies. Many of…Więcej

Fabricae – Roman armory

Until the fourth century CE, the production of armor and weapons in the Roman Empire was centralized and their execution was the responsibility of the so-called fabricae. Armories were deployed throughout entire provinces and their…Więcej

Aquilifer – Roman soldier signifer

Aquilifer was Roman Roman soldier signifer bearing the eagle standard of a Roman legion. He belonged to a group of legionaries (principales) and was entitled to double pay (duplicarius). He enjoyed enormous prestige and belonged…Więcej

Why was Roman army unique?

The Roman army was unique in many ways and to this day its organization is copied in many different variants. During the times of the greatest Roman conquests, under Emperor Trajan, the area controlled by…Więcej

In Roman army, machines were commonly used

Roman army and the weapons it used are associated (especially for the laymen on this subject) mainly with the equipment of a Roman legionary. Who has not heard of a rectangular shield called a scutum,…Więcej

“Parthian shot”

Sometimes an important event from the history of ancient Rome caused that the English language appeared with a reference to this event. For example, the term “parting shot” is commonly used, which in the literal…Więcej

Did Roman legionaries wear red tunics?

In films, historical reconstructions and illustrations, Roman legionaries are dressed in red tunics. But in reality, did the ancient Romans in the army have a unified dress, which was mainly made up of red? In…Więcej

Hippika gymnasia

Hippika gymnasia was a Roman sport competition for the formation of a riders, which consisted of a simulated fight of two groups of soldiers, playing the roles of Greeks and Amazons, who fought with javelins…Więcej

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