The Legionary Soldier

Source One

‘A young soldiershould have alert eyes and should hold his head upright. The recruit should be broad-chested with powerful shoulders and brawny arms. His fingers should be long rather than short. He should not be pot-bellied or have a fat backside. His calves and feet should not be flabby: instead they should be made entirely of tough sinew.

In choosing or rejecting recruits, it is important to find out what trade they have been following. Fishermen, birdcatchers, sweetmakers, weaver and all those who do the kind of jobs that wome normally do should be kept away from the army. On the other hand, blacksmiths, carpenters, butchers, and hunters of deer and wild boar are the most suitable kind of recruit. The whole well-being of the Roman state depends on the kind of recruits you choose; so you must choose men who are outstanding not only in body but also in mind.’ Vegetius

  • What does Vegetius say are the qualities needed for a good Roman recruit?
  • Why does he exclude certain workers and include others?
  • What does this reveal about prevailing attitudes in Roman society?
  • Why do you think he places so much emphasis on men outstanding in body and mind?

Source Two

‘They are also taught not to cut with their swords but to thrust. The Romans find it so easy to beat people who use their swords to cut rather than thrust that they laugh in their faces. For a cutting stroke, even when made with full force, rarely kills. The vital organs are protected by the armour as well as by the bones of the body. On the other hand, a stab even two inches deep is usually fatal.’ Vegetius

  • What does Vegetius reveal about Roman fighting methods in this passage?
  • How do you think this affected the way the Romans fought against their enemies?
  • What advantages do you think this meant for the Roman army?
  • What disadvantages do you think this might mean?

Source Three

Percennius stirs up the legions

"When," he said, "will you dare to demand relief, if you do not go with your prayers or arms to a new and yet tottering throne? We have blundered enough by our tameness for so many years, in having to endure thirty or forty campaigns till we grow old, most of us with bodies maimed by wounds. Even dismissal is not the end of our service, but, quartered under a legion's standard we toil through the same hardships under another title. If a soldier survives so many risks, he is still dragged into remote regions where, under the name of lands, he receives soaking swamps or mountainous wastes. Assuredly, military service itself is burdensome and unprofitable; ten as a day is the value set on life and limb; out of this, clothing, arms, tents, as well as the mercy of centurions and exemptions from duty have to be purchased. But indeed of floggings and wounds, of hard winters, wearisome summers, of terrible war, or barren peace, there is no end. Our only relief can come from military life being entered on under fixed conditions, from receiving each the pay of a denarius, and from the sixteenth year terminating our service. We must be retained no longer under a standard, but in the same camp a compensation in money must be paid us. Do the praetorian cohorts, which have just got their two denarii per man, and which after sixteen years are restored to their homes, encounter more perils? We do not disparage the guards of the capital; still, here amid barbarous tribes we have to face the enemy from our tents.’Tacitus

  • What does this passage reveal about conditions in the Roman army in the first century AD?
  • Do you believe what the speaker of the passage is saying?

Activity

Using the evidence above and from your book, and other sources, write a short, ILLUSTRATED essay on one of the following:

EITHER

1. Describe the organization of the Roman Army and its military equipment. What factors about its organization and equipment made the Roman army so successful?

OR

2. Describe the conditions of service and pay of the legionary soldier. What possibilities for career advancement existed? Do you think the terms of service and pay for a legionary soldier were satisfactory? EXPLAIN your answer.

OR

3. Imagine you are a legionary soldier. Using words or pictures or a combination of both, compose a piece that conveys a typical ‘day in the life of ….’ the average soldier. If you wish you make expand this e.g. in diary form to cover several days or months.

The Legionary Soldier

Lesson Plan

  1. Opening Scene from Gladiator
  2. AN other scene of Roman soldiers marching etc.
  3. Discussion
  4. Passages – questions and discussion
  5. More questions on text? Or an exercise on soldiering