Matt Nevola
3/23/09
Western Civilization
Research Paper

The Roman Army’s organization and structure was far more advanced and sophisticated then the armies belonging to countries in which Rome fought in battle. When it comes down to the Roman Army’s skills and tactics used in war, and the way the army ran its campaigns with such structure and organization, it’s almost as if you’re observing a modern-day military, and not one that existed during time period of The Roman Empire. The Roman Army was operated with the utmost skill and tactics, in order to defeat their opponent. The soldiers were all well sheltered to maintain stamina, as well as being well equipped, well nourished, and overall, they were well prepared. Within The Roman Army, there were infantry units, which all consisted of heavily equipped soldiers. These infantry units went by the term legions, and were well known as such. Soldiers within these legions were well equipped with armor, swords, shields, helmets, and spears. For example, the pilum, a lethal missile weapon that was used in various battles for many centuries was adopted by the legions; the date in which this occurred is unknown. In addition to this, Roman auxiliaries used a weapon called the Laneca, a spear-like weapon used to penetrate through an enemy’s skin. Romans also used bows and arrows, which were also used by auxiliary archer units. These auxiliary archers were usually recruits from the east, where their high level of experience was highly valued. The text taken from the book “The Roman Army: A Social & Institutional History” by Pat Southern, states specifically that “usually, the only surviving evidence in the archaeological record for bows consists of the antler tips, since the wooden parts have disappeared”.
In the early republic, legions usually consisted of approximately 3,000 men. There were, however, 4,800