Caesarean Legions
By Ichbinian
They were the bane of ancient armies. They were the world's best fighting units. They marched 20-50 miles a day. They fought and won wars all for the glory of Rome. They seldom lost a battle. They were The Legions of the Roman Army - were they even men?
How to become part of the Legion:In Caesarean Legions, you would have to be from the city of Rome to join. Some were accepted from Cisalpine Gaul, however, because of its proximity to Italy. It was also imperative that you sign a contract with the Army for 20 years. The yearly salary was 225 Denarii, or $45.00, to which might be added plunder and bonuses from the general.
Equipment:Clothing - The legionary soldier would wear a sleeveless woollen shirt, tight fitting leather trousers, a heavy cloak for rainy days which also served as a blanket, and heavy-duty hobnailed sandals.
Defensive Armour - The helmet (galea) was made of leather and bolstered by metal bands. The same materials made up the well-known Roman shoulder guards. The shield (scutum) was 2 feet broad, and spanned 4 feet high.
Offensive Armour - The soldier was given a 2 foot thrusting blade (gladius), complemented by a 7 foot throwing javelin (pilum), which, when hurled at the enemy, would bend so much that it was not possible for the opponent to reuse it. After a battle, the pila were gathered up and straightened.
Personals - While marching, the Legionary soldier carried with him tools for digging and cutting, cooking utensils, a canteen, and food for 2 weeks, usually bread and porridge. In total, the backpack would weigh 60-70 pounds.
Organization:The full company of a Legion was 6,000 men, but was almost never at full strength, so it was actually 3,600. The Legion was essentially all infantry, but cavalry (Gallic and Germanian) and lightly armed skirmishers (mostly from Crete, Numidia, and the Balearic Islands) and infantry accompanied it.
Here is the organization:
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3,600 Soldiers
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10 Cohorts (360 each)
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3 Maniples (120 each)
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2 Centuries (60 each)
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Equites (300)(aux)
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Light infantry (3,000)(aux)
The Commander-in-Chief (Imperator) was the overall boss of his troops. The second in command was the Quaestor, who was elected by the people. He would oversee the salaries, and the distribution of food, clothing, arms, and equipment. The Legates (Legati) would advise the Imperator, and commanded a Legion (but was not in permanent charge), a special forces detachment, and a winter camp. Tribunes (Tribunes) (6 in each Legion) commanded individual cohorts and did various errands in the camp. The Prefects (Praefecti) were the chief engineers. They had control over building siege engines, bridges, repairs (including fleets), construction of camps, and weapon maintenance. Centurions (Centuriones) are perhaps the most known Roman titles. They were soldiers promoted because of bravery and honour in battle, and shouted the commands of the generals to the Legionaries. They also took up the job of training them. Centurions would not be promoted further, but they could become the first Centurion of the first Cohort, which is a great honour. Prefects of the Auxiliaries (Praefecti Auxiliorum) commanded the light-armed infantry, and cavalry.
Standards:The Eagle (Aquila) was the greatest standard of the Legion. Made of bronze or silver, it was regarded with reverence and it was a disgrace if captured (and the Romans would never stop the fight to get it back).
The Military Signs (Signa Militaria) were long wooden staffs with discs and other decorations like wreaths or tassels (as a sign of excellence among the certain Legion) attached to them. These were the standards of the cohorts themselves, so a lost soldier could find his unit simply by looking at the different signs.
Vexillum Imperatoris - The commander would have a flag for himself – white, with his name on it in red letters.
The Auxiliaries carried other various banners and flags.
Baggage:The baggage (impedimenta) included tents made of animal hides, blankets tools, provisions, artillery, and hand mills for grinding grain. All this was carried in carts pulled by mules and horses (520 working animals per Legion), driven by slaves.
The March:The line of march was called the agmen.
The normal march lasted from sunrise to afternoon, perhaps 7 hours long and a distance covered of 12-19 miles. The forced march covered up to 25 miles. In a really tight situation, Legions could march up to a shocking 50 miles in approximately 30 hours, which Caesar once did with 4 Legions.
In hostile country, the agmen was composed as follows:
-First came the vanguard, comprised of light-armed infantry and scouts.
-Next came the regular Legionaries.
-The baggage followed the regulars for protection in case of attack.
-The rest of the troops (cavalry, engineers, commanders, and some regulars.
In friendly country, the whole Legion would just form up in a single line and walk, the baggage tagging along. If the Legion came to a river, they would either find a ford, or build a bridge using tree trunks or boats.
The Camp:One of the most amazing things attributed to Roman Legions was their engineering skill. There was not one thing they couldn't build. If it had to be done, it was done, and done well. The camp that was built every day in hostile lands was the greatest engineering feat the Romans ever accomplished. The camp served as a defence if attacked, and a refuge if a battle went ill.
Location was important - the camp was best situated on a hill, near water and woods, but not too close to the forest because the enemy could hide troops there. The shape was always square, with 4 gates - 1 on each side. A vanguard was drawn up for protection while the engineers marked the boundaries and did other various things. The cavalry circulated the land to reconnoitre. During this time also, the manual labour began - the digging of the fossa, or trench, which surrounded the camp. It was 9 feet wide and 7 feet deep. The vallum was the wall built around the camp. It was comprised of the earth dug from the fossa, and logs to walk on. 4-foot stakes were inserted. There was enough space on the vallum for soldiers to walk. In special cases of danger, turrets were built at intervals on the wall. No wonder why there were not many attacks on Roman camps - a 7-foot trench, a wall, and missiles raining down on you.
The Legion in Battle:Julius Caesar favoured one battle formation - the triple line (triplex acies). The first line would be 4 cohorts in one line, and three in the remaining lines. The second and third lines would be at intervals of the first so facilitate vision and to provide alleys through which the pila would be aimed. The bravest and strongest troops would be in the first line, for they were depended on to bear the brunt of the enemy attack. The auxiliary troops would skirmish a long way from the main lines, and, when the attack was about to commence, they would withdraw to the rear. The cavalry was placed on the flanks to present a threat of encirclement. The commander would take his place between the infantry and cavalry, so he could command and see both with ease.
Battle procedure:If possible the acies was placed on a slope, for it would give greater range to the pila and greater force to the charge. If more than 2 Legions were involved, the most experienced was put on the flank (which was to begin the attack). When the army was ready to begin the battle, the commander would give his troops a few words of inspiration, and then the sound was given by a tuba to advance. The men would walk for a while, then they sprinted across the field, pila ready to throw. When the soldiers were in range, their javelins were hurled, the effect of which was shattering. In the confusion caused by the shower of missiles, the gladius was drawn. Fierce fighting ensued, and when the first line got tired, the second stepped up to replace it. The third line would act as a reserve to attack at the turning point of the battle.
These Legiones were truly marvels in everything they did - building, fighting, marching, and everything else they did. And with Gaius Julius Caesar at their head, anything was possible!