The Military of the Roman Empire Essay Example
Military of the Roman Empire
The military of the Roman Empire formed the group that held Rome together. They fought with steadfast courage, love for their country, and honor for their people. They overcame some of the deadliest battles, even when they were outnumbered tremendously.
There were several ranks and types of soldiers in the Roman Empire. There were around thirty-five to forty different types of soldiers in the Roman Military, all of which I have listed at the end of my paper.
When Rome was at its highest point it is estimated that there were around 120 million people living there. At its peak the Roman army contained around 20 million soldiers. There has even been evidence that suggest that there were women in the roman military. Women were never admitted into core units such as the legions, but there is archaeological evidence that suggest some women did serve in the federated troops used later in the Empire. For the majority of its history, the Roman army was open to male soldiers only, and only those classified as Roman citizens were able to join the military.
At first all men who were physically able, had to enlist in the Roman army. This was considered part of their duty to their country, and most men were happy to do so. This only lasted for a short period of time though, because there were too many men enlisting and Rome did not have enough recourses or money to fund such a large army. Soon the Roman government began to force Roman solders to provide most of their own equipment. Roman soldiers were not even paid for their service to their country, so soon the state had very little expenses to pay for their army. As Rome grew however, the state began to provide more material for its army and eventually the states biggest expense became its army. During the expansion in the Republic and early Empire, Roman armies had acted as a source of income for the Roman state, by conquered territories, and when they returned they would literally fuel
The military of the Roman Empire formed the group that held Rome together. They fought with steadfast courage, love for their country, and honor for their people. They overcame some of the deadliest battles, even when they were outnumbered tremendously.
There were several ranks and types of soldiers in the Roman Empire. There were around thirty-five to forty different types of soldiers in the Roman Military, all of which I have listed at the end of my paper.
When Rome was at its highest point it is estimated that there were around 120 million people living there. At its peak the Roman army contained around 20 million soldiers. There has even been evidence that suggest that there were women in the roman military. Women were never admitted into core units such as the legions, but there is archaeological evidence that suggest some women did serve in the federated troops used later in the Empire. For the majority of its history, the Roman army was open to male soldiers only, and only those classified as Roman citizens were able to join the military.
At first all men who were physically able, had to enlist in the Roman army. This was considered part of their duty to their country, and most men were happy to do so. This only lasted for a short period of time though, because there were too many men enlisting and Rome did not have enough recourses or money to fund such a large army. Soon the Roman government began to force Roman solders to provide most of their own equipment. Roman soldiers were not even paid for their service to their country, so soon the state had very little expenses to pay for their army. As Rome grew however, the state began to provide more material for its army and eventually the states biggest expense became its army. During the expansion in the Republic and early Empire, Roman armies had acted as a source of income for the Roman state, by conquered territories, and when they returned they would literally fuel