🛡️ The Roman Legions: Building an Empire
The Romans built the biggest empire ever seen in ancient times. From a small settlement on the banks of the River Tiber in Italy they conquered everything from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to Iraq. They did this with their army and in particular the Roman legions.
These were units of 5,000 soldiers. About 200 of these were officers from the noble classes, while another 300 or so were auxiliaries such as builders. The bulk of the fighting force was made up of 300 cavalry and roughly 4,200 legionnaires.
- 🏛️The Roman Empire stretched from Britain to Egypt, and Spain to Iraq
- ⚔️Each Roman legion had 5,000 soldiers
- 🛡️Legionnaires were the backbone - heavy infantrymen with swords and large shields
- 🐎300 cavalry rode alongside 4,200 fighting legionnaires
🎖️ The Legionnaires and Centurions
The legionnaires were in turned divided into bands of 100 men overseen by an officer called a centurion. The Roman legions developed over time. Early on the legionnaires were exclusively Roman citizens, but as the empire expanded it began to include many foreigners from outside of Italy.
Each legion had its own name. For instance, a legion in Spain might be called Legio Hispania V, meaning the 5th Spanish Legion. At the height of the empire in the first and second centuries, there were as many as thirty such legions and it was the military successes of these which allowed the Roman Empire to expand and grow for over 600 years.
- 👑A centurion commanded groups of 100 legionnaires
- 🌍As the empire grew, foreign soldiers joined the legions
- 📜Each legion had a special name like Legio Hispania V
- 📅There were 30 legions at the empire's height, helping Rome rule for 600 years!
