Roman Warfare was remarkably successful over many centuries and across many territories. This was due to several important factors. Italy was a peninsula not easily attacked, there was a huge pool of fighting men to draw upon, a disciplined and innovative army, a centralised command and line of supply, expert engineers, and effective diplomacy through a network of allies.
Further, Rome’s allies not only supplied, equipped and paid for additional men but they also supplied vital materials such as grain and ships. In addition, the Romans had an inclusive approach to conquered peoples which allowed for the strengthening and broadening of the Roman power and logistical bases. On top of all this, Rome was more or less in a continuous state of war or readiness for it and believed absolutely in the necessity of defending and imposing on others what she firmly believed was her cultural superiority.
Hello and welcome to World History Encyclopedia. My name is Kelly and today's video is all about
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down below. Rome from the time of the Republic onward developed one of the most effective
fighting forces in world history and Roman warfare turned a small trade city on the banks of the
into the capital of the greatest empire in the world up to that time. Roman warfare was so
effective because of Roman ingenuity and resources. They developed a highly disciplined army that
included an engineering corps, a centralized command, clear supply lines along Roman roads
and a large population to draw on for soldiers. Roman diplomacy in every era was also usually
extremely effective as were alliances. The primary reason for Rome's military success however was that
it was in a constant state of readiness from the time of the Punic Wars between 264 and 146 BCE
until the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE and was able to deploy troops quickly
who functioned efficiently. The city of Rome was founded in 753 BCE and during the time of the
Kingdom of Rome which spanned from 753 to 509 BCE there was no professional fighting force.
The king would conscript male citizens of fighting age for campaigns when needed and when the war
was over the army was disbanded. These forces usually numbered less than 10,000 men who fought
in the phalanx formation adopted from the Greeks who the Romans knew through trade and their
conquest of Greek colonies on the Italian peninsula. During the time of the Roman Republic
between 509 and 27 BCE the phalanx formation was abandoned in favor of the maniple formation
which is three lines of 120 man units that allowed for greater flexibility in battle.
When the first Punic War began in 264 BCE Rome was proficient in land battles against other tribes
or cities but had never taken on anyone as powerful as Carthage who at that time controlled
the Mediterranean with their fleet of ships and Rome had no navy. Roman determination and ingenuity
came into play though and they quickly built warships and developed strategies so that in the
first Punic War they could wage the same battles they had on land but now at sea. The military
developed further during the second Punic War between 218 and 201 BCE with expansion of the
role of archers cavalry and slingers. The Marian reforms of 107 BCE by the general Marius included
the elimination of the maniple unit which was replaced by the cohort a unit of 480 warriors
although this number varied comparable to the modern battalion. The army of the Roman Republic
conquered Carthage and expanded Roman territory significantly throughout Asia Minor, North Africa
and the Near East providing the foundation for the Roman Empire. The army of the empire or the
imperial army became a professional fighting force under the reign of Augustus Caesar
the first emperor of Rome based on voluntary service for a term of 25 years. Augustus
expanded the army through auxilia fighting forces of non-Romans who served in support of the main
columns primarily as cavalry units. Conscription was reserved for emergencies and both regular army
and auxilia were men who chose a military career for various reasons including the hope of surviving
the 25-year term after which they were then promised tracts of land they could never have
afforded otherwise. During the time of the republic the senate authorized declarations of war but
during the imperial era the emperor made this decision. He would first consult with the clergy
and diviners who would provide favorable or unfavorable omens and then proceeded accordingly.
This policy had been observed by Roman leaders for centuries but the structure operation and
deployment of the imperial army was developed further during the time of the Roman Empire than
ever before. Any physically fit male over the age of 17 could enlist in the army after passing a
fitness and medical exam. The army favored those who are at least five feet eight inches tall or
1.75 meters and preferred men who came from rural areas where they would have usually been more
active and developed more desirable skills than city dwellers. The soldier would form part of a
centuria, century, a unit of 100 men led by a centurion. The centurion second in command was
the optio. Then came the tesserarius who assigned guard duty and dealt with similar details. There
was also the signifier, the standard bearer, and the cornican, the hornblower, who signaled orders
to the troops by blowing the g-shaped instrument known as the cornu. Six centuries made up a cohort
and 10 cohorts made up one legion and a legion was commanded by a consul, a praetor, a tribune,
or a legat. These positions were held by Roman aristocrats who were expected to serve as military
leaders as part of the requirements for political life. The Roman fleets of the imperial navy were
commanded by a prefect appointed by the emperor and the captain of a ship held the rank of centurion
with a title triracus. Crews of ships were soldiers recruited in the same way as the army
but rowers were usually of the lower class, prisoners of war, or slaves. The navy developed
during the first Punic war when the Romans built a fleet of 100 quinquirines and 20 trirines.
Quinquirines had five banks of rowers and a covus, a plank used for holding and boarding another
vessel, while the tririne had three banks of rowers. The smaller tririne was eventually replaced by the
quadririne, four banks of rowers, and the quinquirine. Like the army, the Roman navy was prepared to move
swiftly to counter any threats or support land forces. Among the most famous naval conflicts
was the battle of Actium in 31 BCE, where Octavian, the future Augustus, defeated the forces of Mark
Antony and Cleopatra, enabling him to found the Roman Empire. In this battle, as in almost all
others, military intelligence played an important role in finding out how the enemy forces were
supplied, deployed, who was commanding, and other important details. In land battles, Roman generals
preferred a full frontal attack by the legions on a position, or laying siege to a city and starving
the defenders out. A standard Roman army consisted of the legionaries, auxilia, cavalry, archers, and
artillery, as well as field doctors, blacksmiths, cooks, scribes, carpenters, engineers, surveyors,
servants, slaves, pack animals, road builders, wagons and war machines, standard bearers, and trumpeters.
Once a Roman camp was established on the march, it functioned like a small city. Once an enemy
was defeated, the commanding officer claimed that territory and sent the spoils back to Rome, where
they were used to fund building projects. The Flavian amphitheater, better known as the Colosseum,
was built using funds from the sack of the Temple of Jerusalem during the first Jewish-Roman war
of 70 CE. The victorious commander was given a grand celebration known as a triumph upon his
return to Rome, sometimes including the vanquished enemy leader or notable captives, and was crowned
with a laurel in honor of his services to the state. Conquered territories were added to the
empire as provinces, came under Roman rule and law, and were afterwards occupied by Roman troops,
who could be reinforced swiftly via the network of Roman roads that ran across the empire,
and enabled transport of the greatest military in the world of its time. What do you think of
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