Year 4 Topic, Summer Term 1, Week 3 and 4

Romans

Week 3 and 4 – Why was the Roman army so powerful?

Lesson 1 – Armour of a roman soldier

1. If you can watch this video, pay special attention to the legionary’s armour.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zn2mhyc

2. Now read through the attached information about a roman soliders uniform and armour and label

the picture below.

3. https://www.dkfindout.com/uk/history/ancient-rome/roman-army/

On DK Find Out, it has even more information about the uniform.

Can you find out what the belt on his uniform was for?

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Lesson 2 – Fighting tactics and discipline

Quick recap – here is a short video of a “day in the life of a Roman solider”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5e7cl19Ha0

Information – use the information attached, or follow these websites to find out about Roman army tactics.

http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/romans/formation.html

youtube.com – people have re-enacted the formations and it’s interesting to watch!

The army were so successful because their fighting and protection was like no other.

Find out about these fighting tactics, write a short sentence to describe it, then draw what it looked like.

1. The Tortoise

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2. The Wedge

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3. Repel Calvary

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4. The Orb

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Lesson 1 Information

http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/romans/armour.html

Roman Uni form and Armour

All Roman soldiers wore a uniform and armour to protect

them against being wounded in battle

A legionary wore a linen undershirt and a tunic made of

wool.

C ass i s - he lm e t

A metal helmet with cheek pieces protected the head.

On the front of the helmet , about 3" above the rim is a protrusion

protecting the forehead. This was designed to prevent sword blows

from penetrating the helmet and causing head injuries.

The rear of the helmet had a guard that protected the neck from sword

blows.

Bod y A rm our

The body armour made from overlapping iron strips. These metal strips

were fastened with hooks and laces at the front and hinged at the back.

These were held together by vertical leather strips on the inside. This enable the soldier to be

well protected and also be flexible enough to allow him to bend. The armour was

strengthened by front and back plates below the neck. The shoulders were protected by a

pair of curved pieces.

The basic equipment of a Roman soldier was:

• Cassis - helmet

• Lorica Segmentata - armour

• Focale and cingulum - scarf and tunic worn

under armour

• Gladius - sword, 18-24 in. long

• Pilum (plural pila) - medium-length throwing

spear

• Scutum - shield

• Red Battle Cloak

• Caligae or military boots

Soldiers moved from one place to another by marching. Life for soldiers on the move was very hard. At the end of a day's march they had to build a camp.

Each soldier carried a his kit (equipment on a pole. He had spare

clothes, food rations, a cooking pot, a short spade, a handmill for grinding corn and two wooden stakes to help build a protective fence (palisade).

S c u tum - sh ie ld

On the left side of the soldier's body was his trusty shield (scutum). It was a semi-circular

shield, designed so that any missiles thrown at the soldier would be deflected to one side. This would mean less effort by the soldier would be needed to defend himself.

C a l i g ae - Boots ( Sand a l s )

Roman boots were made of several thicknesses of leather, studded with conical hobnails for

marching over rough ground and using on the enemy when he had fallen.

The metal studs on the soles helped prevent the leather wearing down quickly.

Lesson 2 Information