The Servian Army:
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=== Pre-Servian Army ===
=== Pre-Servian Army ===
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Prior to the Servian Reforms, the Roman Army was much like that of the Greeks'. Rome had no standing army and one was only raised from the citizen body when posed with an external threat. Citizens levied to fight in the army were expected to provide for their own equipment and as a result, soldiers were limited by what they could equipment they could afford. Similar to the Etruscan and Greek army models, the skirmishers and light infantry were comprised of the poorer citizens. These soldiers were usually ill-equiped, and depending on wealth, would sometimes have a shield and were armed with either javelins or slings (for the skirmishers) or light spears or swords (for the other variants of light infantry). The amount of armour varied from none to (at best) a small breastplate and if fortunate, a helmet. The skirmishers and light infantry were expected to act as a screening force for the heavier infantry, and were expected only to delay the enemy forces, not fight in a prolonged battle. The ranks of the heavier infantry and the cavalry were filled in by the wealthier citizens (usually the aristocrats - Patricians - or wealthy plebeians). The Roman heavy infantry of the era, influenced heavily by the Greeks and their neighbours, the Etruscans, fought in the style of the Greek hoplites. They wielded a long spear (probably similar to or the same as the three metre long ''dory'' spear) and a circular concave shield (similar or the same as the Greek ''aspis''). Armour may have varied, though following the Greek hoplite model, would have worn a linothorax (linen and leather armour supported in design by iron scale mail) or a full bronze cuirass in addition to a bronze helmet, and bronze greaves. The shields would have been for the most part uniquely decorated/painted, each with different designs and colors to (usually) signify the city/city-state the soldier came from (a closely related analogy would be that of the Athenian hoplite bearing the painted image of an owl and olive branch on the shield). The cavalrymen would have come from the richest citizens (those would could afford horses and had the necessary prerequisite wealth) and would have been equipped similarly to the heavy infantry. The heavy infantry would form up behind the light infantry and would be the ones expected to do the fighting once the light infantry were pushed back. Meanwhile, the cavalry were expected to actively engage the enemy cavalry and destroy them, before wheeling around the flanks to charge the enemy line from the back.
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Prior to the Servian Reforms, the Roman Army was much like that of the Greeks'. Rome had no standing army and one was only raised from the citizen body when posed with an external threat. Citizens levied to fight in the army were expected to provide for their own equipment and as a result, soldiers were limited by what they could equipment they could afford. Initially, the early Italic tribes in the peninsular fought in the same way any tribes would fight, with the younger and poorer members fighting as skirmishers or light infantry, and the wealthier, older and nobility fighting as medium or heavy infantry. Eventually, these tribes adopted elements from Greek warfare as Greek influence spread across the Mediterranean. Similar to the Etruscan and Greek army models, the skirmishers and light infantry were comprised of the poorer citizens. These soldiers were usually ill-equiped, and depending on wealth, would sometimes have a shield and were armed with either javelins or slings (for the skirmishers) or light spears or swords (for the other variants of light infantry). The amount of armour varied from none to (at best) a small breastplate and if fortunate, a helmet. The skirmishers and light infantry were expected to act as a screening force for the heavier infantry, and were expected only to delay the enemy forces, not fight in a prolonged battle. The ranks of the heavier infantry and the cavalry were filled in by the wealthier citizens (usually the aristocrats - Patricians - or wealthy plebeians). The Roman heavy infantry of the era, influenced heavily by the Greeks and their neighbours, the Etruscans, fought in the style of the Greek hoplites. They wielded a long spear (probably similar to or the same as the three metre long ''dory'' spear) and a circular concave shield (similar or the same as the Greek ''aspis''). Armour may have varied, though following the Greek hoplite model, would have worn a linothorax (linen and leather armour supported in design by iron scale mail) or a full bronze cuirass in addition to a bronze helmet, and bronze greaves. The shields would have been for the most part uniquely decorated/painted, each with different designs and colors to (usually) signify the city/city-state the soldier came from (a closely related analogy would be that of the Athenian hoplite bearing the painted image of an owl and olive branch on the shield). The cavalrymen would have come from the richest citizens (those would could afford horses and had the necessary prerequisite wealth) and would have been equipped similarly to the heavy infantry. The heavy infantry would form up behind the light infantry and would be the ones expected to do the fighting once the light infantry were pushed back. Meanwhile, the cavalry were expected to actively engage the enemy cavalry and destroy them, before wheeling around the flanks to charge the enemy line from the back.
=== '''The Servian Army''' ===
=== '''The Servian Army''' ===
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{{SectionStub}}<WIP>
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{{SectionStub}}
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{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="article-table" style="width: 500px;"
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|-
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! scope="col"|Class
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! scope="col"|Property*
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! scope="col"|Equipment
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! scope="col"|Juniores
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! scope="col"|Seniores
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! scope="col"|Total
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|-
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|1
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|100,000
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|Helmet, round shield, greaves, cuirass, spear, sword
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|40
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|40
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|80
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|-
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|2
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|75,000
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|Helmet, oblong shield, greaves, spear, sword
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|10
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|10
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|20
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|-
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|3
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|50,000
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|Helmet, oblong shield, spear, sword
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|10
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|10
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|20
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|-
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|4
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|25,000
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|Oblong shield**, spear, javelin
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|10
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|10
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|20
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|-
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|5
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|11,000
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|Sling, stones, javelin***
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|15
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|15
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|30
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|}
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*Property was measured in terms of the '''As/Assarius''' (Plural: Asses/Assarii), a bronze (and later copper) coin used during the Roman Republic and Empire.
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*The only source for this piece of information is from the writings of Livy
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T
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*The last class interchangeably carried javelins or slings and stones.
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The Roman male population were divided in terms of property rating and further into senior and junior (they were further divided by age) centuries. The totals listed show the full number of centuries levied from each class. These men had to provide and/or purchase their own equipment, and those who did not meet the listed property requirements were not obligated to serve and were listed as only as part of the total number of soldiers. The chart lists only infantry units, and does not include the 18 centuries of cavalry, 2 centuries of engineers, 2 centuries of musicians, and other non-qualified civilians accompanying the army.
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<WIP>
=== The '''Camillan Legion''' ===
=== The '''Camillan Legion''' ===
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=== '''The''' '''Polybian Legion''' ===
=== '''The''' '''Polybian Legion''' ===
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{{SectionStub}}<WIP>
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<WIP>
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{{SectionStub}}
=== '''The Post-Marian Legion''' ===
=== '''The Post-Marian Legion''' ===
The Marian Reforms instigated by the Consul Gaius Marius in 107 BCE was a response to combat the shortage of eligible citizens to serve in the army due to a series of defeats at the hands of migrating barbarian tribes (the Teutons and the Cimbri) and a prolonged war against King Jugurtha of Numidia in North Africa. The pre-Marian army during the majority of the Roman Republic had consisted of men being levied when war was announced, with types of infantry and roles being dependent on ownership of land (i.e. wealth), experience, and age. When war was announced, soldiers would be conscripted from those eligible for service and then these men would be demobilized once the campaign/war had come to its conclusion. With the problems facing Rome at the time, Marius turned to the abundant supply of urban poor and landless to construct his new army and instituted a set of reforms that would endure well into the Roman Empire. With the reforms instituted, Rome now had the first professional standing armies known to the western world.
The Marian Reforms instigated by the Consul Gaius Marius in 107 BCE was a response to combat the shortage of eligible citizens to serve in the army due to a series of defeats at the hands of migrating barbarian tribes (the Teutons and the Cimbri) and a prolonged war against King Jugurtha of Numidia in North Africa. The pre-Marian army during the majority of the Roman Republic had consisted of men being levied when war was announced, with types of infantry and roles being dependent on ownership of land (i.e. wealth), experience, and age. When war was announced, soldiers would be conscripted from those eligible for service and then these men would be demobilized once the campaign/war had come to its conclusion. With the problems facing Rome at the time, Marius turned to the abundant supply of urban poor and landless to construct his new army and instituted a set of reforms that would endure well into the Roman Empire. With the reforms instituted, Rome now had the first professional standing armies known to the western world.
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Under the new system, soldiers would be sworn in and take an oath to the emperor while in the presence of the aquila (the sacred eagle standard of the legion) to serve Rome for a period of roughly 20 years (over the years, this number would fluctuate) before being discharged. The common footsoldier was not allowed to marry during this period.
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Under the new system, soldiers would be sworn in and take an oath to the emperor while in the presence of the aquila (the sacred eagle standard of the legion) to serve Rome for a period of roughly 20 years (over the years, this number would fluctuate) before being discharged. The common footsoldier was not allowed to marry during this period.
=== <u>Eligibility for Service</u> ===
=== <u>Eligibility for Service</u> ===
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=== <u>Structural Changes</u> ===
=== <u>Structural Changes</u> ===
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Marius did away with the previous maniple sub-units, creating a new unit called the cohort. Each cohort was to consist of six centuries, each century containing 80 uniformly equipped soldiers and 20 camp followers. Within each century were 10 contubernia, each contubernium led by a Decanus (squad leader). Six centuries made up one cohort (each century was lead by an officer called a Centurion) Ten cohorts (each cohort was lead by the highest ranking centurion in the cohort - usually the Centurion of the first Century) would form an entire legion. Usually, provincial governors or (during the empire) officers selected by the emperor (called a Legatus Legionis) led a legion. Each soldier would be armed and equipped with a gladius (sword), two pila (throwing javelins), a brass 'Coolus' or 'Montefortino' helmet, lorica hamata (chainmail armour), an oval scutum (shield), caligae (sandals), etc. Later, during the empire, the shields became more rectangular and there would be increased use of the famous lorica segmentata (armour with segmented bands of metal) and iron helmets.
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Marius did away with the previous maniple sub-units, creating a new unit called the cohort. Each cohort was to consist of six centuries, each century containing 80 uniformly equipped soldiers and 20 camp followers. Within each century were 10 contubernia, each contubernium led by a Decanus (squad leader). Six centuries made up one cohort (each century was lead by an officer called a Centurion) Ten cohorts (each cohort was lead by the highest ranking centurion in the cohort - usually the Centurion of the first Century) would form an entire legion. Usually, provincial governors or (during the empire) officers selected by the emperor (called a Legatus Legionis) led a legion. Each soldier would be armed and equipped with a gladius (sword), two pila (throwing javelins), a brass 'Coolus' or 'Montefortino' helmet, lorica hamata (chainmail armour), an oval scutum (shield), caligae (sandals), etc. Later, during the empire, the shields became more rectangular and there would be increased use of the famous lorica segmentata (armour with segmented bands of metal) and iron helmets.
=== <u>Logistics</u> ===
=== <u>Logistics</u> ===
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*Each of the Roman Legions were given a standard that were blessed by the gods. The [[Twelfth Legion Fulminata]], the only known Legion to survive to the present day were given the [[The 12th Legion's Eagle|Eagle]], blessed by [[Jupiter]] himself.
*Each of the Roman Legions were given a standard that were blessed by the gods. The [[Twelfth Legion Fulminata]], the only known Legion to survive to the present day were given the [[The 12th Legion's Eagle|Eagle]], blessed by [[Jupiter]] himself.
*Prior to the Marian Reforms, Legion Standards could be any of the following: A(n) Wolf, Minotaur, Eagle, Ox, or Boar
*Prior to the Marian Reforms, Legion Standards could be any of the following: A(n) Wolf, Minotaur, Eagle, Ox, or Boar
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*The legions of the Republic (before the Marian Reforms) utilized a system of class. The poorest citizens would form the ranks of the Velites (javelin armed skirmishers) and Hastati (scarcely armoured legionaries), while the more experienced and older soldiers would form the ranks of the Principes (equipped with the Lorica Hamata or Squamata). Finally, the richer and oldest troops (usually in their prime - 30's) would form the ranks of the equites (cavalry) and spear-armed Triarii.
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*The legions of the Republic (before the Marian Reforms) utilized a system of class. The poorest citizens would form the ranks of the Velites (javelin armed skirmishers) and Hastati (scarcely armoured legionaries), while the more experienced and older soldiers would form the ranks of the Principes (equipped with the Lorica Hamata or Squamata). Finally, the richer and oldest troops (usually in their prime - 30's) would form the ranks of the equites (cavalry) and spear-armed Triarii.
*The legions of the Roman Kingdom were raised through the Etruscan and Greek levy system in which poorer citizens would form up (typically) spear/javelin wielding skirmishers and light infantry, while the richer citizens would form up as heavier infantry (typically Hellenistic-style Hoplites), and equites.
*The legions of the Roman Kingdom were raised through the Etruscan and Greek levy system in which poorer citizens would form up (typically) spear/javelin wielding skirmishers and light infantry, while the richer citizens would form up as heavier infantry (typically Hellenistic-style Hoplites), and equites.
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[[Category:Articles needing improvement]]
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[[Category:Groups]]
[[Category:Groups]]
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[[Category:Camp Jupiter]]
[[Category:Camp Jupiter]]
[[Category:Demigods (CHB)]]
[[Category:Demigods (CHB)]]