Legionary

The Roman Soldier's (Unofficial) Manual

Philip Matyszak

• Publisher: Thames and Hudson Ltd
• Year: 2013
• eBook ISBN: 9780500771730
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Roman Ancient History
• Index: History

Combining the latest archaeological discoveries with modern-day reconstructions, this book (written by a leading expert, the author of 'Chronicle of the Roman Republic', 'The Enemies of Rome', 'The Sons of Caesar' and 'Ancient Rome on Five Denarii a Day') provides a vivid picture of what it meant to be a Roman Legionary. How to be accepted into the legions and which legion is for you; What to wear - and what not to wear - while on campaign; Who's Who in the Roman army, and how to tell a Berber from a Pict: How to wield a gladius and fire a catapult; How to storm a city and survive; How to act when Rome is honouring your legion with a triumph. "A very interesting, original and well structured work for anyone who enjoys Roman military themes... a fun and easy read" - Ancient Warfare

• III •

Alternative Military Careers

conare levissimus videri, hostes enim fortasse instrumentis indigeant *

* Try to appear unimportant – the enemy might be low on ammunition.

• • •

There is more to the Roman army than just the legions – indeed, for some the legions might not even be the best choice. Below are some alternatives which an aspiring recruit might consider, though note that these positions are not all open to everyone. In whatever unit a soldier finds himself, he is nevertheless part of an integrated fighting force, supported by the complementary strengths of its different units.

The cavalry

Quick summary

Pros:		Cons:
1 Soldiering on horseback is prestigious. The Roman aristocracy used to do it. 2 Why walk if you can ride? 3 Much of any battle is spent in reserve. 4 The cavalry is open to citizens and non-citizens alike. 5 If things get really tough on campaign, a horse provides several weeks worth of meat rations.		1 There is a lot of kit to clean and maintain. 2 There is also a horse to groom and muck out. 3 The Parthian cavalry is generally superior to the Roman. 4 So is the Sarmatian cavalry. 5 And the Gallic, and the German, and the Numidian …

• • •

In earliest times [the Romans] fought without armour … which put them at severe risk in close combat … their spears were so light and bendy that they bounced with the horse’s motion and were both impossible to throw properly and sometimes even broke before they were used in combat … the shields were of ox-hide, too soft to be useful in attack, and once rain had rotted the skin, it peeled off, making the shield not just useless but a positive encumbrance.

POLYBIUS HISTORIES 6.25

• • •

Horses for courses

Things have changed since the days of the early Roman Republic that Polybius writes about, not least because the Romans have since got around the inferiority of their native cavalry by contracting out the work to nations with superior abilities on horseback. Because of the different techniques and requirements of cavalry in various parts of the empire, there is greater variety in the cavalry arm of the service than in any other part of Rome’s armies.

For an example of this consider the cavalry of the eastern provinces, which have to deal with two totally different types of enemy on horseback. First, there are the lightly armoured bowmen who can shoot backwards over the rumps of their horses. This is the famous ‘Parthian shot’ which makes these riders as deadly when running away as when they are attacking. Secondly, the same region produces the fearsome cataphracti, cavalry with horses almost as heavily armoured as their riders. In each case the Roman cavalry have to adapt to the challenge of fighting very different enemies. For example, in the deserts of Numidia, the Romans have found that slingshots are a useful weapon against their mobile and ferocious Berber foes.

• • •

To my brother Heraclides, greetings. I’ve already written to you about young Pausanias wanting to serve in the legions. Well now he has decided he wants the cavalry … I went down to Alexandria and tried various ways and means, and finally got him into a cavalry unit at Coptos …

OXYRHYNCHUS PAPYRUS 1666

• • •

A mail-armoured cavalryman. Note the arm in position to hold a lance for an underarm thrust. Note also that the sword is longer than the legionary version, and the neck-guard of the helmet is shorter, though since this is the cavalry, generous provision has been made for affixing display plumes. Practicality and national taste have also resulted in this rider preferring trousers to tunic. (Nick Jakins © Thames & Hudson Ltd, London)

Roman horsemen are likely to find themselves in the legionary cavalry, units that are very closely integrated with the legions from which most of their members are drawn. Consider, for example, Tiberius Claudius Maximus, a Roman citizen from Philippi in Macedonia who enrolled in the army about 15 years ago. Naturally, he chose the legion in which his father had been a soldier before him – in this case VII Claudia – and because of his family connections he became a legionary cavalryman. He later transferred to the second Pannonian cavalry where he is today – a junior officer with a very respectable salary of 700 denarii a year. He was at one point on the staff of the legion commander – citizen cavalrymen are very useful couriers – but is now in charge of a troop of exploratores. These cavalrymen have the task of ranging out far ahead of the army, performing special missions or seeking intelligence of enemy movements. It is an interesting life, full of unexpected adventure, but it needs agility and fitness even greater than that expected of an average legionary.

Kit and equipment

There is an infantry joke that a cavalryman will never lack work when he reverts to civilian status. He can always find a job grooming horses. It is certainly true that a horseman has a busy life, both while in action and while preparing for it. Cavalry equipment is mostly modelled on that of the Celts who have provided the backbone of the cavalry over the past century. Expect to take and maintain the following on campaign:

Body armour This is usually chain mail, either Celtic style or as worn by the regular auxiliaries, but some units prefer scale armour.

Helmet This is significantly different from the infantry version, and needs a lot of getting used to. It is designed to give all-round protection in mounted melees, where attacks from behind happen more often than they do to legionaries. Cavalry helmets also lack the distinctive protruding protection that an infantry helmet has at the back, since falling on this protrusion from the height of a horse considerably increases the likelihood of a broken neck.

Cavalry helmet. Roman horsemen have helmets for battle, helmets for display and helmets for particular types of foe. The owner of this particular helmet evidently expects to be hit over the head a lot (note the cross brace) and has extensive protection from slashing weapons. However, hearing is important to a cavalryman in battle, so earholes enable both this and some ventilation. (Peter Inker © Thames & Hudson Ltd, London)

Shield A lot depends on where the unit is and what it is doing, but the standard shield is a flat oval, similar to those used by the auxiliaries. It takes a lot of practice to learn to use shield, sword, spear and javelin while sitting on a fast-moving horse. Practice at falling off the horse without severely injuring oneself occurs incidentally during the course of normal training.

Sword This is called the spatha. It is longer than the legionary gladius (see ‘Sword’ in Chapter IV) and often tucked under the saddle blanket when action is not anticipated.

Javelin A Roman horseman is a veritable missile platform. A charging cavalryman is expected to have discharged well over a dozen javelins or large darts at his opponents before the hand-to-hand fighting begins.

Saddle A particularly important item for a cavalryman is the distinctive Roman four-horned saddle. This, like the cavalry sword, was derived from the Celts, and is the only thing keeping the rider securely on his horse – the idea of dangly metal footrests (later known as stirrups) has not yet occurred to anyone. However, do not expect this lack of footrests to excuse a cavalryman from taking on infantry in combat – the saddle is deep and firm enough to allow tucking the spear underarm for a solid thrust without the rider being propelled backward over the horse’s haunches on impact.

Harness and tack There is rather a lot of this, as the Romans like their cavalry to look impressive. So there are various medallions and other bits of metal to shine, as well as leather and buckles to keep in good condition.

Four-horned saddle, showing the skeleton and attachment. A Roman rider relies on the vice-like grip of his thighs to stay in the saddle. The horns on the sides also help, though a rider getting on his horse in a hurry needs to take care not to become more securely mounted than he intended. (Peter Inker © Thames & Hudson Ltd, London)

Then there is the cavalryman’s personal kit, and that’s besides th...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• About the Author
• Other Titles of Interest
• Dedication
• Contents
• I Joining the Roman Army
• II The Prospective Recruit’s Good Legion Guide
• III Alternative Military Careers
• IV Legionary Kit and Equipment
• V Training, Discipline and Ranks
• VI People Who Will Want to Kill You
• VII Life in Camp
• VIII On Campaign
• COLOUR PLATES
• IX How to Storm a City
• X Battle
• XI Aftermath
• Map of the Roman Empire
• Glossary
• Acknowledgments
• Further Reading
• Sources of Illustrations
• Copyright