Why Was the Roman Legion so Powerful - 1306 Words

Throughout the years the armies of ancient Rome have invaded and conquered most of Europe. For quite a long time other civilizations feared them because of their massive, well trained legions of soldiers. Some people might have read about their feats in battle elsewhere. Often research focuses solely on the strategies and technology employed by Rome in times of battle, but what about the soldiers themselves? People usually think of the Roman military as a well oiled machine that acted precisely and consistently, but there have been multiple documented mutinies throughout the Roman army over time. What kind of training did they go through after they were drafted into the Roman military? Was their training both physical and mental to try to†¦show more content†¦All of this training happened out under the scorching sun just as it would in battle. They had to master leaping over trenches and climbing up embankments, however they had to be very careful how and where they practice d, as climbing over the walls of their camp was punishable by death (Stout 428). Aside from various movement related training, they practiced accurately hurling spears, as this was a part of their main battle tactics. All practice with weapons was done under the supervision of a campidoctor (drill sergeant). Stakes the height of a man were set up and used as targets for soldiers to practice their hand eye coordination. The dummy wooden weapons that recruits trained with were reportedly about two times as heavy as their real equipment would be. This was so their muscles would grow accustomed to attacking with something heavy, thus making it even easier to use their lighter weight weapons. During their weaponry training, after hurling their javelins at the target, they would draw a club and run towards the target as if they were a real enemy, taking leaps to either side while approaching. After approaching, they would proceed to practice dodging, feinting, and attacking in close proxi mity, with a campidoctor alerting the recruit of any weaknesses in his defenses. All of this intensive training gave them the confidence to march into battle effortlessly and fearlessly, but whoShow MoreRelatedRoman Empire : The Greatest Empire Of That Time1131 Words   |  5 Pages Roman Army Ancient Rome was an empire that stretched over two million square miles, at its height. It reached the shores of the Rhine River to the Caspian Sea, and along the outskirts of Africa to Spain (Eyewitness to History, 2007). The empire was an advancement for humankind, combining multiple cultures for trading, and the collaboration of different peoples for science. 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