796:, heavy javelins that, according to Goldsworthy "contrary to deeply entrenched myth" did not bend on impact to make any struck shield useless or prevent the weapon from being thrown back. The weight and barb alone sufficiently hampered any struck shield (often penetrating the shield to hit the man behind it), and the iron was sufficiently hard that pila were often used as hand-held spears against both infantry and cavalry. By the time the volley of pila had reached the enemy line (usually only fifteen yards distant for best effect), the legionaries were charging and very quickly at work with their swords. There was rarely any time for the foe to find a pilum, pull it out of whatever it had hit and throw it back.
800:
26:
961:
466:
635:
By the 4th century BC the military the Romans had inherited from the
Etruscans was still being used. Though its efficiency was doubtful, it proved effective against Rome's largely local adversaries. When Gauls invaded Etruria in 390 BC, the inhabitants requested help from Rome. The small contingent
775:
of the 3rd century BC, the
Camillan organisational system had been found to be inefficient. Under a new Polybian system, infantry were sorted into classes according to age and experience rather than wealth, with the
609:, although they were more often than not relegated to providing missile support to the higher classes rather than fighting themselves. Penrose and Southern postulate that it is probable that engagements with the
621:, who both used many smaller military units rather than a few larger ones, taught the Romans the importance of flexibility and the inadequacy of the phalanx on the rough, hilly ground of central Italy.
891:
At Zama, Scipio arranged his men into columns, side by side, with large lanes in between. The opposing
Carthaginian elephants were drawn into these lanes where many were killed by
1449:
564:
contained the younger men rather than just the poorer, though most men of their age were relatively poor. Their usual position was the first battle line. They fought in a
780:
being the youngest and least experienced. Their equipment and role was very similar to that which existed under the previous system, except they now carried swords, or
641:
521:
494:
1444:
1439:
763:
in the final battle line were some of the least dependable troops, and were used in a support role, providing mass and reinforcing wavering areas of the line.
895:
without inflicting many casualties on the Romans. Once the surviving elephants had been routed, Scipio formed his men into a long line with his
487:
272:
168:
84:
984:
684:, often with a number of feathers fixed onto the top to increase stature. They wore light armour, the most common form being small
630:
60:
226:
480:
146:
1380:
1220:
1189:
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1019:
540:—light chainmail and other miscellaneous equipment. The Senate supplied their soldiers with only a short stabbing sword, the
565:
636:
Rome sent to repel the Gallic invaders provoked a full-scale attack on Rome. The entire Roman army was destroyed at the
1405:
1349:
1300:
1275:
1247:
1158:
1133:
1103:
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537:
34:
372:
50:
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formation, supported by lighter infantry. The enemy was allowed to penetrate the first battle line consisting of
128:
242:
203:
154:
727:
would form up at the front of the legion and harass the enemy with their javelins to cover the advance of the
974:
358:
291:
79:
933:
in North Africa and
Germanic tribes to the north, the different classes of units were disbanded entirely.
670:, up to 1.8 metres (6 ft) long, from which the soldiers acquired their name. They fought in a
865:
177:
387:
42:
1323:
696:
557:
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1212:
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rule. They were originally some of the poorest men in the legion, and could afford only modest
254:
103:
1096:
The
History of Rome, Book II: From the Abolition of the Monarchy in Rome to the Union of Italy
811:
had been increased in number to 1,200 per legion, and formed 10 maniples of 120 men each. The
533:
353:
89:
735:
failed to break the enemy during their engagement, they would fall back and let the heavier
343:
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was typically equipped with these, and one or two soft iron tipped throwing spears called
8:
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in a crushing defeat that prompted reforms by Marcus Furius
Camillus. Under the new
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423:
412:
327:
46:
572:, after which the enemy would deal with the more hardened, seasoned soldiers, the
675:
545:
417:
395:
338:
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556:. This doubled their effectiveness, not only as a strong leading edge to their
432:
402:
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123:
1433:
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307:
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appear to have been remnants of the old third class of the army under the
942:
876:, the Roman general, formed his men up in the usual manner, but once the
841:
would gather at the front and fling javelins to cover the advance of the
685:
317:
208:
699:, military units of 60 men each. Attached to each maniple were about 20
925:
in 107 BC, intended to combat a shortage of manpower from wars against
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348:
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937:, local irregular troops, would fulfill other roles, serving as
888:
as a flanking force, routing the opposing
Carthaginian troops.
681:
188:
601:. The third class stood in the last few ranks of a very large
872:
being among the few notable exceptions. At the Great Plains,
791:
701:
614:
553:
525:
1293:
Rome and Her
Enemies: An Empire Created and Destroyed by War
1037:
Rome and Her
Enemies: An Empire Created and Destroyed by War
837:. Pitched battles were conducted in a similar fashion; the
532:. These soldiers were the staple unit after Rome threw off
907:
1315:
849:
failed to break the enemy, they would fall back on the
829:, who had a similar role but were now also attached to
747:
spearmen, who would then engage the enemy in turn. The
578:. They were eventually disbanded after the so-called "
560:, but also as a stand-alone missile troop. Later, the
1339:
864:
This order of battle was almost always followed, the
956:
644:, men were sorted into classes based on wealth; the
1450:
Military units and formations of the Roman Republic
857:could not break them, they would retire behind the
743:could not break them, they would retire behind the
1368:The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History
1208:The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History
1177:The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History
1063:The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History
1007:The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History
853:, who had also been re-armed with swords. If the
1431:
709:stood in the first battle line, in front of the
680:, large rectangular shields, and wearing bronze
1445:Military units and formations of ancient Rome
1440:Infantry units and formations of ancient Rome
1316:Niebuhr, Barthold; Schmitz, Leonhard (1849).
488:
1261:
1259:
544:, and their distinctive squared shield, the
1398:A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities
1335:
1333:
1268:A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities
1235:
1151:A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities
1126:A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities
1119:
1117:
1115:
880:had begun to engage the enemy, he used his
520:) were a class of infantry employed in the
613:and a crushing defeat at the hands of the
495:
481:
1389:
1256:
605:and were equipped in a similar manner to
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1364:
1358:
1330:
1284:
1204:
1173:
1142:
1112:
1089:
1087:
1059:
1003:
985:Structural history of the Roman military
798:
631:Structural history of the Roman military
1322:. Taylor, Walton, and Maberly. p.
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1198:
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1093:
1053:
1034:
1028:
997:
1432:
1400:. Little, Brown, and Co. p. 506.
1340:Sekunda, Nick; McBride, Angus (1996).
1270:. Little, Brown, and Co. p. 496.
1153:. Little, Brown, and Co. p. 172.
1128:. Little, Brown, and Co. p. 495.
803:The formation and alignment of hastati
1395:
1319:Lectures on the history of Rome Georg
1265:
1148:
1123:
1084:
513:
705:, javelin-armed light infantry. The
1371:. Oxford University Press. p.
1211:. Oxford University Press. p.
1180:. Oxford University Press. p.
1066:. Oxford University Press. p.
1010:. Oxford University Press. p.
861:, who would then engage the enemy.
13:
766:
624:
522:armies of the early Roman Republic
14:
1461:
1418:
1344:. Osprey Publishing. p. 20.
1295:. Osprey Publishing. p. 33.
1039:. Osprey Publishing. p. 29.
664:were armed with short spears, or
648:were the third poorest, with the
1342:Republican Roman Army 200-104 BC
959:
910:
691:In this type of legion, the 900
464:
24:
1309:
16:Class of Roman infantry soldier
654:being slightly poorer and the
1:
990:
975:List of Roman army unit types
921:With the putative reforms of
688:, called "heart protectors".
359:Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes
1236:Goldsworthy, Adrian (2006).
674:formation, usually carrying
273:Frontiers and fortifications
7:
952:
713:of the second line and the
524:, who originally fought as
85:Decorations and punishments
10:
1466:
1239:Caesar: Life of a Colossus
914:
866:battle of the Great Plains
786:, instead of spears. Each
628:
1242:. Yale University Press.
1094:Mommsen, Theodor (1895).
597:when it was reformed by
388:Claustra Alpium Iuliarum
373:Danube–Iller–Rhine Limes
43:Military of ancient Rome
1396:Smith, William (1875).
1266:Smith, William (1875).
1149:Smith, William (1875).
1124:Smith, William (1875).
823:had been replaced with
471:Ancient Rome portal
1365:Southern, Pat (2007).
1291:Penrose, Jane (2005).
1205:Southern, Pat (2007).
1174:Southern, Pat (2007).
1060:Southern, Pat (2007).
1035:Penrose, Jane (2005).
1004:Southern, Pat (2007).
980:Roman infantry tactics
804:
599:Marcus Furius Camillus
586:History and deployment
802:
354:Neckar-Odenwald Limes
169:Technological history
819:had been disbanded.
660:slightly wealthier.
344:Lower Germanic Limes
243:Strategy and tactics
178:Military engineering
80:Unit types and ranks
967:Ancient Rome portal
771:By the time of the
719:of the third. In a
638:Battle of the Allia
339:Lauter Valley Limes
903:in the centre and
805:
739:take over. If the
440:Limes Tripolitanus
61:Structural history
1382:978-0-19-532878-3
1222:978-0-19-532878-3
1191:978-0-19-532878-3
1077:978-0-19-532878-3
1021:978-0-19-532878-3
790:also carried two
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1434:Categories
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929:, king of
773:Punic wars
695:formed 15
629:See also:
349:Main Limes
901:principes
882:principes
855:principes
851:principes
845:. If the
831:principes
741:principes
737:principes
731:. If the
711:principes
657:principes
575:principes
538:equipment
530:swordsmen
334:Alb Limes
953:See also
927:Jugurtha
868:and the
788:hastatus
697:maniples
672:quincunx
617:warlord
611:Samnites
566:quincunx
550:hastatus
534:Etruscan
526:spearmen
518:hastatus
129:Admirals
104:Generals
35:a series
33:Part of
947:cavalry
939:archers
931:Numidia
905:hastati
897:triarii
893:velites
886:triarii
878:hastati
859:triarii
847:hastati
843:hastati
839:velites
835:triarii
826:velites
817:accensi
813:rorarii
809:hastati
778:hastati
760:accensi
755:rorarii
750:equites
745:triarii
733:hastati
729:hastati
716:triarii
707:hastati
693:hastati
682:helmets
662:Hastati
651:rorarii
646:hastati
619:Brennus
607:hastati
603:phalanx
591:Hastati
570:hastati
562:hastati
558:maniple
542:gladius
509:Hastati
99:Auxilia
90:Legions
1404:
1379:
1348:
1299:
1274:
1246:
1219:
1188:
1157:
1132:
1102:
1074:
1043:
1018:
874:Scipio
783:gladii
723:, the
667:hastae
642:system
615:Gallic
548:. The
546:scutum
232:
189:Castra
124:Fleets
51:AD 476
47:753 BC
37:on the
821:Leves
725:leves
702:leves
677:scuta
292:Walls
286:Limes
209:Roads
1402:ISBN
1377:ISBN
1346:ISBN
1297:ISBN
1272:ISBN
1244:ISBN
1217:ISBN
1186:ISBN
1155:ISBN
1130:ISBN
1100:ISBN
1072:ISBN
1041:ISBN
1016:ISBN
945:and
899:and
884:and
833:and
815:and
807:The
793:pila
757:and
554:pila
114:Navy
70:Army
1324:151
514:sg.
1436::
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1373:94
1332:^
1258:^
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1114:^
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1068:88
1014:.
1012:89
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489:t
482:v
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