Curiosities of ancient Rome (Army)

The triumphal parades of Roman legions have always played an important role in Rome’s history. One of such marches was seen and was described later by a fourteen-year-old Tacitus. It gives us a great insight into how this triumphal march looked like.

Sambuca was a war invention used for the first time by the Romans, commanded by Marcus Claudius Marcellus, during the siege of Syracuse in 213 BCE. The inventor of the siege bridge was a certain Heracleides of Tarentum.

The film shows the remarkable effectiveness of the Roman Pilum on the shield and lorica hamata.

A brilliant film showing the structure of the Roman army from the early empire period.

War chariots were found in Europe and the Middle East. The Romans described chariot as currus falcatus. The war chariot was equipped with scythes called falces, placed on both sides of the wheel axle and at the drawbar. It should be noted that the Roman army basically did not use chariots for military purposes, at most as a parade or means of transport for couriers.

“Scorpion bombs” were weapons used by the Arsakids defending themselves against the Roman invasion in 198 CE. The clay pots filled with live, poisonous scorpions were thrown out from behind the walls of the defending city of Hatra and affected the morale of the legions badly.

Aquila, a Roman legionary eagle, found in a field near the village of Sălcuta in Romania. The eagle has dimensions: length 168mm, height 82mm, weight 340g. The legs of the animal have not survived to our times, but the eagle probably held lightning in its claws.

The Roman fleet did not use slaves for service at sea. The boatmen, sailors and naval sailors were ordinary auxiliares who in exchange for a good 26-year military service could expect them to be granted Roman citizenship.