The Military of Rome

Thesis

The legions of Rome were comprised of various groups found throughout the Mediterranean. Each retained their individual culture yet acted as a singular entity under the military.

PART I

Multicultural Forces

Auxilia

CIL, vol. VI, no. 3,492 Names of the Legions

II AugustaVI VictrixVIII AugustaXXXII PrimigeniaI MinerviaXXX UlpiaI AdiutrixX GeminaXVI GeminaIII GallicaII ParthicaIV ScythicaXVI FlaviaVI FerrataX FretensisIII Cyrenacia

I ParthicaII AdiutrixIV FlaviaVI ClaudiaI ItalicaV MacedonicaXI ClaudiaXIII GeminaXII FulminataXV ApollinarisII TraianaIII AugustaVII GeminaII ItalicaIII ItalicaIII Parthica

Cestius Gallus assembles legion from locals

Procurator Gestius Florus sent an urgent request for assistance to his immediate commander, Cestius Gallus, the legate of Syria, who commanded the four-legion regional strategic reserves in Antioch. Despite the gravity of the situation, it took Cestius 3 months from the date he received Florus’s report to concentrate his expeditionary force. The muster consisted of the XIIth Legion, Fluminata as the core, with some 4,800 men, augmented by vexillationes, consisting of 2,00 men from each of the other three legions, for a total of 11,000 infantry. Additionally, Cestius assembled four alae of calvary-in all likelihood 2,000 horse-and six cohorts of auxiliary infantry, totaling about 5,000 men. (Davis, 74)

Tacitus, Annals IV. Iv. 4-v. 6Next, from the borders of Syria to the Euphrates river, all the territory that is encompassed in this vast sweep was controlled by four legions flanked by the Iberian, Albanian, and other kings, who are protected by our greatness against foreign powers. Thrace was held by Rhoemetacles and the children of Cotys; the bank of Danube, by two legions in Pannonia and two in Moesia. The same number were stationed in Dalmatia, where, because of the situation of the region, they served as a rear guard for the Danubian legions and could be summoned from a short distance should Italy suddenly require aid.

What you don’t know Annals 4.4.4? You were supposed to read it for class!

PART II

Uniformed Forces

The Sacramentum

It was very much the army of the emperor, all recruits taking an oath of allegiance to the princeps rather than the Senate and People of Rome. (Goldsworthy, 123)

Armor

Tactics

Conclusion

The singular entity of the military was composed of many cultures from the Mediterranean.