by Iain Dickson, ‘Melvadius Macrinus Cugerni’ Sculptural Evidence Many sculptures have been found showing the Roman army in operation as well as individual memorial monuments to Roman soldiers. The workmanship on …
by Gary Julian It is as if there is a “code of silence” among Historians in general, and Military Historians in particular, on the career of Count Belisarius of the Eastern …
by Kurs In this article, I will try to throw some light on the Persian campaigns of the emperor Heraclius (who reigned AD 610 – 641), which in most historical …
AD 272/273 by ‘Emperor Aurelianus’ Background to the Conflict The conflict between Zenobia of Palmyra and Aurelian took place for the most part in 272ad, in the second year of …
A collection of pictures of soldiers with their armour/equipment (recreated from historical accounts). Hoplite (5th century BC) Veles, plural: velites (3rd/2nd century BC) Hastatus (3rd/2nd Century BC) Triarius (3rd/2nd Century BC) …
Siege Warfare – Tactics Ancient Romans were experts in siege warfare. In conducting sieges, the Romans showed their practical genius combined with ruthless thoroughness. If a place could not be …
The Roman Navy was always considered an inferior arm and was strictly under army control. But already during the First Punic War, Rome proved itself capable of launching a fleet …
Marching and Physical Training The first thing the soldiers were taught to do, was to march. The historian Vegetius tells us that it was seen as of greatest importance to …
Roman society was governed by class and so in effect there was three separate army careers possible, that of the common soldier in the ranks, that of the equestrians and …
The Recruit of the Republican Army (before the Reforms of Marius) War offered the Roman citizen of the republic the possibility of returning covered in glory, having won both land …
There were three kinds of units in the auxilia of the early empire. The cavalry alae, the infantry cohorts and the mixed infantry and horsemen cohortes equitatae. The Ala (The …
Nothing in military history quite matches the Roman standards. Perhaps the closest equivalent are the regimental colours in contemporary armies. The standards, the signa were a recognition signal and a …
This is not a complete list of all legions, but a listing of examples of legionary nick-names and their origins. NAME ORIGIN OF NAME TIME OF CREATION I Adiutrix pia …
Information about tactics can be derived from accounts of battles, but the very military manuals known to have existed and to have been used extensively by commanders, have not survived. …
