08 September
2019
Why was the Roman
army so successful in
battle?
Starter
‘A Roman soldier always has to be ready to
fight....’
Quiet thinking time …
How can we make sure a Roman soldier is
ready for battle?
Qualities of a successful Roman soldier
would include ...
Organisation
Knowledge
of Equipment
opposition
Personal
Write these
down and add
skills e.g. Training
one of your bravery
own.
What do you think you would need to be a
Roman Soldier?
• You must be 1.6m tall
• You must be physically fit
• You had to be a Roman citizen
• You had to stay in the Army 25 Years
Add these points to your diagram.
SOURCE: From a Roman Army Handbook 24 AD
“A young man should have
alert eyes and should hold his
head upright. He should be
broad chested with powerful
shoulders and arms. He should
not be pot bellied or have a fat
bottom! His calves should not
be flabby.”
Star question – Is this
primary or secondary
evidence?
How was the Roman Army organised?
• Main part of the
army was the
LEGION
• This was made up
of around 5000
men under the
command of the
LEGATE
• The legion was
divided into ten
cohorts
• Each cohort was
made up of six
centuries
• The centuries were
commanded by a
centurion
• Centuries had 80 -
100 men
• The centurions were
very important men
• They were responsible
for training the soldiers
under their command
and making sure
everyone obeyed
orders.
• Some were very cruel.
Know your
uniforms?
Soldier
Legate
Centurion
Legion made up of around– 4800 men
Divided into 10 cohorts
Or around 480 men in each section
One cohort was made up of
six centuries
Each Century
80 80 80 80 80 80 had 80 men
Standard Bearers
• Each century had its
own emblem or
standard.
• This was carried by
the standard bearer,
a very experienced
and trusted soldier.
• To lose your standard
was a great disgrace.
Note
the
animal
skin
Who else was in the Army?
• Auxiliaries- These were
doctors, clerks, engineers,
scribes, map makers and even
soldiers from lands conquered
by the Romans who
volunteered to fight for the
Romans.
• Many of these had special
skills- like cavalry soldiers,
stone shot slingers or archers.
Auxiliaries
Thought of by Romans as second
class soldiers, paid less and not
trained as rigorously
After 25 years- they became
Citizens (and their children too!)
Training
• Most soldiers joined
between 18-20 years
old.
• There were three
30km marches each
month.
• On each march the
legionary would carry
25 kilos of equipment.
• Legionaries would
also learn drill, or
marching.
• This was important
for learning
manoeuvres in
battle.
• New recruits were
given shields and
swords twice as
heavy as the real
thing!
Why become a Roman Soldier?
You could earn
If you were brave, you
a good reliable
were rewarded with a
wage
laurel crown!
Uniform, While you are in the
weapons and Army part of your
Travel the wages were saved so
equipment all world
provided you could retire in
comfort
You would be fit, strong You could earn extra
and brave – impress all money from robbing
the women! those you defeated
Equipment
Equipment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5f7RovSbmc&feature=related
On your work sheets …
I. Label the Roman soldier
sheet.
II.Complete the sheet
adding details as required.
Part 2 (or ii as a Roman might say!)
• Complete the word search provided.
Make sure that you have glued
in all your sheets from the
last lesson into your exercise
books.
Tactics
The first thing the Romans tried to do when they were
conquering another country was to choose the time and
place of the battle. The Romans would arrive, set up
camp and then send a letter to the local ruler asking him
to submit to Roman rule – the Romans never fought
unless they had to.
This gave the Romans time to rest and to decide how
and when they would attack. They researched the
strengths and weaknesses of their opponents and chose
strategies to suit the occasion.
A favourite COMMANDERS
Roman
battle
formation
RESERVES
INFANTRY
AUXILIARIES AUXILIARIES
ENEMY
A favourite troop formation but why?
Discuss with your partner possible answers.
Let’s make the ‘Orb’
Type: DEFENSIVE
When used:
- If part of the army had been split
off from the main group or
encircled by the enemy.
How it works:
- The legionaries form a circle
around the officers and the
archers (these were the most
important people!) using their
shields as protection.
- Seen as a ‘desperate last stand’.
Let’s make the ‘Repel-Cavalry’
Type: DEFENSIVE
When used:
- To combat a cavalry charge.
How it works:
- The soldiers form a line, with the men at
the front crouching down with their
shields in front of them and their spears
stick out of the gaps. The men behind put
their shields over the top of the men in
front, and have their spears ready to
throw.
- The spears would stop horses from
running at the soldiers, often causing
them to retreat. Those retreating would
then knock into the cavalry behind them,
causing a domino effect and making
themselves easy targets for archers.
The ‘Tortoise’
Type: DEFENSIVE
When used:
- To advance but remain protected from
spears, arrows, etc.
How it works:
- The Tortoise is square. The men at
the front hold their shields in front
of them. The men at the sides hold
their shields to the sides. The men in
the middle hold their shields above
them.
- The men had to move in close
formation to ensure that the shields
were touching so that no missiles
could get in and injure any soldiers.
Let’s watch the ‘Tortoise’ in action …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN977BwoluU&NR=1
The Wedge
Type: ATTACKING
When used:
- Used aggressively to divide the enemy.
How it works:
- The centurion is at the front of the ‘V’ and the legionaries
form the sides of the ‘V’ . They have to stay close together
to stop the enemy from breaking the line.
- As the wedge advances, more soldiers join on at the ends
to divide the enemy even further.
- Breaking the enemy formation was key to winning on the
Roman battlefield!
Let’s watch the ‘Wedge’ in action …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzn3xsHivO8&feature=related
Sieges
The Siege of Jotapata
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-E5J6LNUBU&feature=related
Final thoughts..
• In pairs, discuss why you think the
Roman soldier and/or army was so
successful?
Information page for a Year 7
History book – see example
• A catchy title to grab the readers’
attention.
• Some illustrations to make it look
interesting.
• Plenty of colour.
• Information needs to be accurate, clear
and simple.
OR … A recruitment poster – see example
Organisation of Different types of Weapons and
the Roman Army soldiers armour
Your Roman How well
How the
disciplined
Roman army recruitment they were
fought- poster must
tactics
include …
What Roman What a Roman
soldiers had to be battle was like.
like.
OR ...
Worksheet
with
activities
