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Rome's Successful Professional Army

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Encompassing over 1.7 million square miles and comprising thirty five percent of the world’s population at its peak, the Roman empire conquered the mediterranean world from Mesopotamia to Scotland as an insurmountable force, outmatching its contemporaries in drive, organization, and discipline. The Romans were largely vain and uncompromising; they deemed themselves, with much overt pride, direct descendants of Mars, literally the sons of war. Rome’s heavy infantry, which harbored the core of Rome’s martial aptitude, was strategically organized and reorganized into a nonpareil soldiery that, with fervent resolve, became the first successful professional army, the likes of which would not be paralleled for a thousand years after its existence. …show more content…

The populace was as averse to defeat as was the army. Society emboldened all that contributed to military strength and spurned all that proceeded from cowardice. It was believed that all free men should be soldiers. Propagation was encouraged; It was noble of a woman to bear a son who would become a valiant soldier and more noble of that son to fulfill that role. Initially, Rome’s legions were derived from a levy on its citizenry, who were made to conform to rigid dogmatic discipline and believe that their submission was the requisite of their power. In combat, a phalanx of warriors would use their shields form an impassable barrier and the frontmost rows of the battalion would extend their spears inflexibly. This formation was highly dependant upon group cohesion and was susceptible to ambuscades from the sides or rear. After having this weakness exploited by the Samnites, Rome discarded this tactic. With increasing Roman suzerainty came more massive and professionalized force of homogeneous military units that were salaried and heavily regulated. Roman generals were abnormally attentive of their enemies’ logistics and willing to cultivate new arts of war which allowed the infantry to adapt to new threats rapidly. Following the second samnite war, Rome adopted a maniple system based on social class and age. Maniples of one-hundred-twenty men, extracted from legions of five-thousand, were arrayed in the fashion of a checkerboard with younger soldiers, eager to demonstrate their prowess, in front. To minimize casualties of Romans, yet ensure that their contenders are crippled, the frontmost warriors would absorb the first onslaught of enemies until weary and marred, then retreat into the maniples behind them, exposing their enemy to two rows of experienced and vigorous warriors who were expected to deplete the remaining enemies. Generals Titus, Caesar, and Augustus increased the effectiveness of this tactic by

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