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Roman Legions<br />
After 20 years’ service a legionary was granted a pension and some land, and perhaps a small<br />
villa. Captured soldiers from overseas (auxiliaries) who had served <strong>Rome</strong> well were granted<br />
Roman citizenship. Worthy slaves were given their freedom and became free men.<br />
A legion was about 6 000 men. There were ten units called ‘cohorts’ in a legion and six centuries<br />
led by a centurion in each cohort. A century originally contained 100 men, but later centuries had only 80. As<br />
they faced the enemy, the front line of a legion could be over one kilometre wide and have a depth of 100 to<br />
200 metres. They would have been a formidable and confronting sight for an opposing army.<br />
If a Roman unit retreated it was decimated. This meant every tenth legionary was killed, whereas courageous<br />
soldiers received gifts.<br />
For 1 000 years (500 BC–500 AD approx.) the Roman armies were continually at war, either in the early<br />
Roman republic or in provinces of the Empire. Such was their reputation, one Greek writer of those times<br />
wrote that Roman generals only wanted men ‘who will hold their ground when outnumbered ... and die at<br />
their posts’.<br />
TEACHERS<br />
N OTE<br />
A battle formation:<br />
Roman soldiers would often attack in<br />
a wedge formation to force a<br />
breakthrough in enemy ranks. The<br />
Hastati carried hastae (spears) and the<br />
Triarii only fought if the battle was<br />
being lost. The Velites were the<br />
youngest, least able soldiers.<br />
Viewing Sample<br />
– 18 – <strong>Ancient</strong> <strong>Rome</strong> Prim-Ed Publishing www.prim-ed.com