#A2ZChallenge R is for Roman Army

R is for Roman Army

Theme: Ancient Roman Scotland during the Flavian era

I was into the writing of the second book in my #Celtic Fervour Series clan saga when I realised that I couldn’t quite envisage what a whole legion of Roman Soldiers looked like. It was easy to imagine what one legionary, or one auxiliary, soldier looked like – Wikimedia Commons was a ‘go to’ for that –  but a whole legion of around 5000 soldiers marching along in a long file was harder to grasp.

www.123rf.com

Movies can help with creating images but I found I needed to get a better grasp of the component parts of a legion. Since doing that bit of research -  probably around 2013 -  it’s been so valuable to me, even now that I’m currently writing Book 5. I also draw on it when I do my local presentations on Roman Scotland, using local topography to help explain the immensely long column as the Romans marched across the Aberdeenshire landscape.

So what makes an Ancient Roman legion? 

During the Flavian era a recruit had to have Roman citizenship to enter a Roman legion.

legionary wearing
lorica segmentata www.123rf.com

8 - A contubernium group of 8 soldiers was the most basic unit of the Ancient Roman Army. A contubernium (pl. contubernia) did virtually everything as a complete unit. They trained and ate together, and slept in the same tent if on campaign, or in one room of the barracks of a fort or fortress. A raw recruit tironis was allocated to a contubernium where he did 6 months basic training. If he survived the gruelling training programme, he became a basic-level soldier called a militis.

I'm not sure exactly when the lorica segmentata, plate chest armour would have been donned, but it appears to have singled out the citizen legionary soldier from the non-citizens who went into the auxiliary ranks and probably wore chainmail.

There was also scale mail but who wore that is difficult to discern. 

After a few years some milites (pl) entered into specialised training since the Ancient Roman Army was well populated by extremely well-trained specialists – camp building engineers; surveying architects; road engineers; hunters; doctors; medical orderlies etc. Some of these specialist posts meant being an immunis, essentially non-combat unless it was necessary in times of attack. The immunes, after training was completed, were paid more than the basic milites.

If you look at the very neat image below, one row of soldiers is a contubernium group. I found that this image really helped me to visualise what a whole legion was like. (My apologies for having lost the credit, I think it came from a 'Roman Army' Facebook group post)

10 - contubernia groups make up a centuria (century) (80) A century was commanded by a centurion and an optio (supposedly a volunteer who became second in command of the century but was generally selected by the centurion). The Signifer was the person in charge of the soldiers’ pay and savings, some of the earnings paid into a ‘funeral’ account. The Signifer carried the Centurial Signum, the pole decorated with medallions which the men flocked around when regrouping. The Cornicen was the horn blower who attracted the attention of the soldiers of the century to group around the Signifer. The Tesserarius was the guard commander/ organiser for the century who would organise the day-to-day guard changes whether in camp or in a permanent fort.

And one little 'block' in the image below is a centuria

6  - centuries make up a cohort (480)

One row of  century 'blocks' in the image above is a cohort. 

10  - cohorts make up a legio (legion) (4800)

The Aquilifer was the Legion's Standard or Eagle bearer and was an enormously important and prestigious position. The next step up would be a post as a senior Centurion.

You might, like me, begin to say – wait a minute! A century is a hundred and 10x8 only equals 80. The reason that 10 contubernia is a nominal century (100) is because in the ideal world each contubernium might have 2 extra men who were slaves who did the donkey work of bearing the heavy goods, like the leather tent that slept the 8 soldiers and other necessary supplies. Except the Roman Army often used pack mules and oxen to pull laden carts. So the total of 10 contubernia would then ideally be 100.

The above structure would have been a perfect legion but the reality was different. Legions often/ mostly had a Double First Cohort which meant around 960+ The 1st Cohort was the best trained and most effective soldiers, the front-line aggressors. The centurion in charge of the 1st Cohort was the Primus Pilus. The Primus Pilus, or First File, was the commanding centurion of the 1st Cohort and the senior centurion of the entire Legion. If he survived his 25 years service, he could ascend to the rank of the equestrian social class, a considerable advantage to any offspring he might have.

www.123rf.com

The Centurions essentially bound the whole legion together. They were career soldiers who ran the day to day life of the men below them as well as issuing commands when on campaign or during times of engagement with an enemy. Each Legion had 59 or 60 centurions, one to command each centuria of the 10 cohorts. These men generally moved up from the ranks, but occasionally a centurion could be a direct appointment from the Emperor, or other higher ranking officials.

The next level of command above centurion was the Tribuni Angusticlavii. These men would already be of the equestrian class in Roman society, or above. Each Legion had c. 5 Tribuni Angusticlavii. They were usually career officers who were essentially in training, undergoing their 'cursus honorum' , to eventually achieve high ranking  political or military posts in Rome, or within the Roman Empire. They were generally about 18 years of age or above when the began their post as Junior Tribune (Tribunus Angusticlavius). The Tribuni Angusticlavii did many of the important administrative tasks of the Legion, but still served in a full tactical command function during engagements. In general, the post lasted approx. 3 years, though could be less. They were young men sometimes referred to as ‘narrow striped’ since their togas could display the narrow stripe status at the bottom.

tribune
Wikimedia Commons

The Praefectus Castrorum was the camp Prefect, or Commandant. Generally he was a long serving veteran who had been promoted through the ranks of the centurions and was 3rd in overall command.

The Tribunus Laticlavius was of senatorial rank and served as second in command of the legion. Usually coming from a tribune post or some other high ranking officialdom, he was appointed by the Emperor or the Senate and wore a broad striped toga.

The Legatus Legionis was the overall Legionary commander. Generally appointed by the emperor, the Legatus Legionis was usually a former Senior Tribune(or other important military or political post) and held command for three or four years, but could serve for a longer period. In a province with only one legion, the Legatus tended to also be the provincial governor and in provinces with multiple legions, each legion has a Legatus and the provincial governor had overall command of them all.

There were 4 legions in Britannia, during the Flavian era -  Legio II Augusta; Legio II Adiutrix; Legio IX Hispana; Legio XX Valeria Victrix. Each legion had a Legatus Legionis and there was an overall provincial governor who was senior to the legionary commanders.

General Gnaeus Iulius Agricola was legionary commander of the Legio XX during the governorships of Vettius Bolanus (A.D. 69-71) and Quintus Petillius Cerialis (c. A.D.71-73)  Agricola returned to Rome and was enrolled as a patrician. At this time, it was mainly a nominal rank but still important if you started out from the equestrian class as Agricola had done. From c. A.D. 73-76 Agricola was the governor of Gallia Aquitania (a large chunk of modern France), a high ranking post on his cursus honorum- step ladder to military and civic success. Around A.D. 77, Agricola became governor of Britannia (Legatus Augusti pro praetore).

Auxiliary - Legio XXI Rapax
Facebook- re-enactment group

There were, of course, additions to the above in the Roman Army.

An auxiliary vexillation or unit had a similar basic soldier structure but the command structure was different since the auxiliaries were not Roman citizens. They were sometimes commanded by a tribune, who may have have equestrian status. It's thought that auxiliary soldiers mainly wore lorica hamata - chainmail chest covering.

And....The Roman Cavalry was an essential part of the whole command and that happens to be the subject of my next #A2ZChallenge post so remember to pop in on Monday 22nd for that article.

Are you familiar with any of the above ranks of the Ancient Roman Army? 


Till the next #A2ZChallenge post....

Slainthe!