Roman legions synonyms, Roman legions pronunciation, Roman legions translation, English dictionary definition of Roman legions. The Roman army became a volunteer, professional and standing army which extended service beyond Roman citizens but also to non-citizens who could sign on as auxillia (auxiliaries) and were rewarded Roman citizenship upon completion of service and all the rights and privileges that entailed. Rome's early period is undocumented and shrouded in myths, but those myths tell that during the rule of Servius Tullius, the census (from Latin: censeō – accounting of the people) was introduced. Throughout the imperial era, the legions played an important political role. What does Roman Legion mean? In the time of Augustus, there were nearly 50 upon his succession but this was reduced to about 25–35 permanent standing legions and this remained the figure for most of the empire's history. This page was last changed on 24 January 2021, at 15:27. Numbers would also vary depending on casualties suffered during a campaign; Julius Caesar's legions during his campaign in Gaul often only had around 3,500 men. Later, under Caracalla, the praemia increased to 5,000 denarii. Totals from summary of Notitia Dignitatum in Richardot, Philippe, CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of Roman legions of the early Empire, Roman military decorations and punishments, "Greco-Macedonian influences in the manipular Legion system", "The Histories of Polybius: Fragments of Book VI p.357", "It's totally fine to use 'decimate' as a synonym for 'devastate'. Indeed, the Roman legion changed over its history to meet the needs of the Empire. a very large group of soldiers who form part of an army, esp. However, this put the loyalty of the soldiers in the hands of their general rather than the State of Rome itself. Except for Legio I to IV, which were the consular armies (two per consul), other units were levied by campaign. Rome's Italian allies were required to provide approximately ten cohorts (auxilia were not organized into legions) to support each Roman Legion. the French Foreign Legion [+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples. This effectively eliminated the notion of allied legions; henceforth all Italian legions would be regarded as Roman legions, and full Roman citizenship was open to all the regions of Italy. Centurions were the glue which held a Roman legion together. Toward the end of the 2nd century BC, Rome started to experience manpower shortages brought about by property and financial qualifications to join the army. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc. Want to thank TFD for its existence? The discipline was used by senior commanders in the Roman Army to punish units or large groups guilty of capital offences, such as cowardice, mutiny, desertion, and insubordination, and for pacification of rebellious legions. Roman Governors were not allowed to leave their provinces with their legions. It was continued within the Eastern Roman Empire until the 7th century, when reforms begun by Emperor Heraclius to counter the increasing need for soldiers resulted in the Theme system. At this time, each century of hastati and principes consisted of 60 men; a century of triarii was 30 men. Aside from the rank and file legionary (who received the base wage of 10 assēs a day or 225 denarii a year), the following list describes the system of officers which developed within the legions from the Marian reforms (104 BC) until the military reforms of Diocletian (c. 290). A Roman legion was the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army in the period of the late Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. There was a clear-cut system of rank, and a number of different divisions of the basic unit, the legion. Tactics were no different from those of the early Greeks and battles were joined on a plain. The word decimation is derived from Latin meaning "removal of a tenth". (Definition von legion aus dem Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press) Legions could contain as many as 11,000 fighting men when including the auxiliaries. They provided cavalry, ranged troops and skirmishers to complement the legion's heavy infantry. Only eight officers in a full legion outranked him. For a more detailed analysis, as well as the Romans in battle, see the articles. This had come about as the large formation legion and auxiliary unit, 10,000 men, was broken down into smaller units - originally temporary detachments - to cover more territory. In addition to the elite palatini, other legions called comitatenses and pseudocomitatenses, along with the auxilia palatina, provided the infantry of late Roman armies. Joining the army was both a duty and a distinguishing mark of Roman citizenship; during the entire pre-Marian period the wealthiest land owners performed the most years of military service. For example, the defeat of Vitellius in the Year of the Four Emperors was decided when the Danubian legions chose to support Vespasian. Noun 1. The Roman army, for most of the Imperial period, consisted mostly of auxiliaries rather than legions.[3]. Ancient heavy infantry unit of 1,000 to 5,000 men, Overview of typical organization and strength, Cornell, T. J. Meaning of Roman Legion. Carthaginians' quinquereme), as well as military units, such as heavy mounted cavalry and mounted archers (Numidians and Parthians). By the third century AD, the legion was a much smaller unit of about 1,000 to 1,500 men, and there were more of them. They were also allocated to static bases with permanent castra legionaria (legionary fortresses). There is no evidence to suggest that legions changed in form before the Tetrarchy, although there is evidence that they were smaller than the paper strengths usually quoted. Roman Legion: 1 n a division of from 3000 to 6000 men (including cavalry) in the Roman army Type of: host , legion archaic terms for army Das Unternehmen Römische Armee" (Saarbrücken 2012) by Stefan Zehnter, "Roman Infantry Tactics in the mid-Republic: A Reassessment"( Historia 63, 2014) by Michael J. Taylor, This page was last edited on 19 March 2021, at 13:44. In return for outstanding service, a citizen was given an arrow without a head. It was roughly equivalent to the modern word division. The influence of Roman military and civic culture, as embodied particularly in the heavy infantry legion, gave the Roman military consistent motivation and cohesion. a Roman legion [+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples. [7] Legion names such as Honoriani and Gratianenses found in the Notitia suggest that the process of creating new legions continued through the 4th century rather than being a single event. In the Republic, legions had an ephemeral existence. Centuries were normally 60 soldiers each at this time in the hastati and principes (no longer 100 men). Beim Roman Legion spielen hat man tatsächlich das Gefühl, mit den römischen Truppen zu marschieren. of an ancient Roman army, or any large group of people: Legions of fans attended the concert. To make this easier, he issued each legionary a cross stick to carry their loads on their shoulders. Data in: Goldsworthy, Adrian (2003). 25), Julius Caesar describes an incident at the start of his first invasion of Britain in 55 BC that illustrated how fear for the safety of the eagle could drive Roman soldiers. William Smith, D.C.L., LL.D. Because legions were not permanent units until the Marian reforms (c. 107 BC), and were instead created, used, and disbanded again, several hundred legions were named and numbered throughout Roman history. [citation needed], The 4th century saw a very large number of new, small legions created, a process which began under Constantine II. There were now three lines of soldiers when in battle formation. Some legions may have been reinforced with units making the force near 15,000–16,000 or about the size of a modern division. This was considered a great honour and would bring the recipient much prestige. (Military) a military unit of the ancient Roman army made up of infantry with supporting cavalry, numbering some three to six thousand men 2. a : a large group of soldiers in ancient Rome. A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The cohorts came to form the basic tactical unit of the legions. See table in article "Auxiliaries (Roman military)" for compilation of this data. pp 123. Five would be staff officers and the remaining one would be a noble heading for the Senate — originally this tribune commanded the legion. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of up to 6,000 soldiers, originally divided into maniples and later … Roman leadership was mixed, but over time it was often effective in securing Roman military success. A miniature vexillum, mounted on a silver base, was sometimes awarded to officers as a recognition of their service upon retirement or reassignment. By the 1st century BC, the threat of the legions under a demagogue was recognized. Prior to this, cohorts had been temporary administrative units or tactical task forces of several maniples, even more transitory than the legions themselves. As part of the Marian reforms, the legions' internal organization was standardized. At the same time, the three different types of heavy infantry were replaced by a single, standard type based on the Principes: armed with two heavy javelins called pila (singular pilum), the short sword called gladius, chain mail (lorica hamata), helmet and rectangular shield (scutum). LG Dimi Read More on This Topic Spearmen would deploy themselves in tightly packed rows to form a shield wall with their spears pointing forwards. Also, some warfare was still conducted by Roman forces outside the legionary structure, the most famous example being the campaign in 479 BC by the clan army of gens Fabia against the Etruscan city of Veii (in which the clan was annihilated). In the early Roman Kingdom legion may have meant the entire Roman army, but sources on this period are few and unreliable. In the middle of the Republic, legions were composed of the following units: Each of these three lines was subdivided into (usually 10) chief tactical units called maniples. Until the Marian reforms of 107 BC, the Republican legions were formed by compulsory levy … The heavy infantry was composed of citizen legionaries that could afford the equipment composed of an iron helmet, shield, armour and. Definition of Roman Legion in the AudioEnglish.org Dictionary. Auxilia contained specialist units, engineers and pioneers, artillerymen and craftsmen, service and support personnel and irregular units made up of non-citizens, mercenaries and local militia. The legion was commanded by a legatus or legate. With each legion having 5,120 legionaries usually supported by an equal number of auxiliary troops (according to Tacitus), the total force available to a legion commander during the Pax Romana probably ranged from 11,000 downwards, with the more prestigious legions and those stationed on hostile borders or in restive provinces tending to have more auxiliaries. For our intents and purposes in t… However, legion is now used … In the middle of the Republic, legions were composed of the following units: Each of these three lines was subdivided into maniples, each consisting of two centuries of 60 men commanded by the senior of the two centurions. The legions were divided into 10 cohorts of about 500 to 600 men. Some legions may have even been reinforced at times with units making the associated force near 15,000–16,000 or about the size of a modern division. (Provincials who aspired to citizenship gained it when honourably discharged from the auxiliaries.) Each century had its standard and was made up of ten units of eight soldiers who shared a tent, millstone, a mule and cooking pot (depending on duration of tour). The term legion also denotes the military system by which imperial Rome conquered and ruled the ancient world. The role of allied legions would eventually be taken up by contingents of allied auxiliary troops, called Auxilia. At some point, possibly in the beginning of the Roman Republic after the kings were overthrown, the legio was subdivided into two separate legions, each one ascribed to one of the two consuls. 11,000 downwards. They were: From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roman_legion&oldid=7323857, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License, Heavy infantry: This was the principal unit of the legion. The final form of the legion originated with the elite legiones palatinae created by Diocletian and the Tetrarchs. It had a complement of 4,200 legionaries in the republican period of Rome. The seniority of the pilus prior centurions was followed by the five other century commanders of the first cohort, who were known as primi ordines. In the empire, the legion was standardized, with symbols and an individual history where men were proud to serve. Learner's definition of LEGION [count] 1 . By the time of the emperor Severus, 193-211, the auxiliaries may have composed 55 to 60% of the army, 250,000 of 447,000. Until the middle of the first century, ten cohorts (about 500 men) made up a Roman legion. Regulations were strictly enforced, and a broad array of punishments could be inflicted upon a legionary who broke them. 86–96; Elton, Hugh (1996). By the 1st century BC the threat of the legions under a demagogue was recognized. These individuals would have had the most to lose should the state have fallen. A Roman legion was the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army in the period of the late Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. The soldiers were nicknamed Marius' Mules because of the amount of gear they had to carry themselves. In the early, pre-empire days, the Roman Army fought largely as its Greek neighbors did: through the phalanx. In the late republic and much of the imperial period (from about 100 BC), a legion was divided into ten cohorts, each of six (or five) centuries. Despite this, the Eastern Roman/Byzantine armies continued to be influenced by the earlier Roman legions, and were maintained with similar levels of discipline, strategic prowess, and organization. To keep these baggage trains from becoming too large and slow, Marius had each infantryman carry as much of his own equipment as he could, including his own armour, weapons and 15 days' rations, for about 25–30 kg (50–60 pounds) of load total. In the time of Jesus, a standard Roman legion consisted of about 6,000 men. This arrangement allowed for the possibility for the supply train to become temporarily detached from the main body of the legion, thus greatly increasing the army's speed when needed. The most senior centurion of the legion was the Primus Pilus who commanded the first century. The Roman legion was the largest military unit of the Roman army. Ein Automatenspiel eines Spieleentwicklers wie Gamomat benötigt selbstverständlich mehr als eine gute Grafik, um von uns eine gute Bewertung zu erhalten. The size of a typical legion varied throughout the history of ancient Rome, with complements of 4,200 legionaries and 300 equites (drawn from the wealthier classes – in early Rome all troops provided their own equipment) in the republican period of Rome (the infantry were split into 10 cohorts each of four maniples of 120 legionaries), to 5,200 men plus 120 auxiliaries in the imperial period (split into 10 cohorts, nine of 480 men each, plus the first cohort holding 800 men). [8] A rare instance of apparent direct continuity between the legions of the early Empire and those of the post-6th century army was Legion V Macedonica; created in 43 BC, recorded in the Notitia Dignitatum as a legione comitatense under the title of Quinta Macedonica and surviving in Egypt until the Arab conquest of 637 AD.[9]. (1995): The Beginnings of Rome. In the fourth century AD, East Roman border guard legions (limitanei) may have become even smaller. There would also be a group of officers for the medical staff, the engineers, record-keepers, the praefectus castrorum (commander of the camp) and other specialists such as priests and musicians. In the time of the early Roman Empire, there were usually about 25–35 standing legions plus their auxiliaries, with more raised as needed. Rome did not have a standing army until the reforms of Gaius Marius about 107 BC. (Definition of legion from the Cambridge … Following the Battle of Vercellae in 101 BC, Marius granted all Italian soldiers Roman citizenship. The military was a highly organized institution. Montesquieu wrote that "the main reason for the Romans becoming masters of the world was that, having fought successively against all peoples, they always gave up their own practices as soon as they found better ones."[16]. (historical) The major unit or division of the Roman army, usually comprising 3000 to 6000 infantry soldiers and 100 to 200 cavalry troops. The earliest legiones palatinae were the Lanciarii, Joviani, Herculiani and Divitenses. The development of the early legion may be seen as a Roman version of the Greek phalanx formation. Legions also included a small ala, or cavalry unit. Das liegt vor allen Dingen natürlich an der Grafik des Spielautomaten. Answer: A Roman legion was a large division of soldiers in the ancient Roman army. Over time, the legions effectively handled challenges ranging from cavalry, to guerrillas, and to siege warfare. See also Sub-Units of the Roman legion. These were infantry units of around 1,000 men rather than the 5,000, including cavalry, of the old Legions. In the imperial period, the full complement was 5,500 men split into 10 cohorts of 480 men each. A maniple consisted of two centuries and was commanded by the senior of the two centurions. Now the cohorts were ten permanent units, composed of 6 centuries and in the case of the first cohort 5 double strength centuries each led by a centurion assisted by an optio. The soldier in the front of the formation is a centurion. In the plural, the legions, it may mean the entire Roman army. Following the reforms of the general Marius in the 2nd century BC, the legions took on the second, narrower meaning that is familiar in the popular imagination as close-order citizen heavy infantry. The Eastern Roman/Byzantine armies continued to be influenced by the earlier Roman legions, and were maintained with similar level of discipline, strategic prowess, and organization. Normally, this was because any legion incapable of regaining its eagle in battle was so severely mauled that it was no longer effective in combat.[13]. The mid Republican legion had a nominal strength of about 4500 men. The roles of century leader (later formalized as a centurion), second in command and standard bearer are referenced in this early period. During this time, there was a high incidence of Gemina (twin) legions, where two legions were consolidated into a single organization (and was later made official and put under a legatus and six duces). Every legion had a large baggage train, which included 640 mules (1 mule for every 8 legionaries) just for the soldiers' equipment. With the birth of the Roman Empire, the legions created a bond with their leader, the emperor himself. [1] The subsequent organization of legions varied greatly over time but legions were typically composed of around five thousand soldiers. These centuries were grouped together as required and answered to the leader who had hired or raised them. The legions also became permanent at this time, and not recruited for particular campaigns. A legion was about 5,000 men in several cohorts of heavy infantry (legionaries). In 494 BC, when three foreign threats emerged, the dictator Manius Valerius Maximus raised ten legions which Livy says was a greater number than had been raised previously at any one time.[4]. The remaining 220 were 120 cavalry plus technical staff. Legion [N] [S] a regiment of the Roman army, the number of men composing which differed at different times. When Julius Caesar broke this rule, leaving his province of Gaul and crossing the Rubicon into Italy, he precipitated a constitutional crisis. These emperors would carefully add new legions, as circumstances required or permitted, until the strength of the standing army stood at around 30 legions (hence the wry remark of the philosopher Favorinus that It is ill arguing with the master of 30 legions). (Military) any large military force: the … The Marian reforms (of Gaius Marius) enlarged the centuries to 80 men, and grouped them into six-century "cohorts" (rather than two-century maniples). See also List of Roman legions for details of notable late Republican legions See also Sub-Units of the Roman legion. In addition, there were 24 vexillationes palatini, 73 vexillationes comitatenses; 305 other units in the Eastern limitanei and 181 in the Western limitanei. Within the second to tenth cohorts, the commander of each cohort's first century was known as a pilus prior and was in command of his entire cohort when in battle. Roman legionaries synonyms, Roman legionaries pronunciation, Roman legionaries translation, English dictionary definition of Roman legionaries. The symbol was carried by an officer known as aquilifer, and its loss was considered to be a very serious embarrassment, and often led to the disbanding of the legion itself. By the fourth century AD, the legion was a much smaller unit of about 1,000 to 1,500 men, and there were more of them. The military discipline of the legions was quite harsh. The Notitia Dignitatum lists 25 legiones palatinae, 70 legiones comitatenses, 47 legiones pseudocomitatenses and 111 auxilia palatina in the field armies, and a further 47 legiones in the frontier armies. Roman soldiers charging. In these cases, the detached subunits carried only the vexillum, and not the aquila, and were called, therefore, vexillationes. A legion was roughly of brigade size, composed of 4,200 infantry and 300 cavalry in the republican period, expanded to 5,200 infantry and 120 auxilia in the imperial period. The Greek phalanx was composed of spearmen who moved in unison as a fighting unit. [2], For most of the Roman Imperial period, the legions formed the Roman army's elite heavy infantry, recruited exclusively from Roman citizens, while the remainder of the army consisted of auxiliaries, who provided additional infantry and the vast majority of the Roman army's cavalry. The republican legions were composed of levied men that paid for their own equipment and thus the structure of the Roman army at this time reflected the society, and at any time there would be four consular legions (with command divided between the two ruling consuls) and in time of war extra legions could be levied. Roman soldiers would have thus looked much like Greek hoplites. William Smith, D.C.L., LL.D. Roman, legion: Definition (amerikanisch) Roman, legion: Thesaurus, Synonyme, Antonyme Roman, legion: Etymology legion: römische Legion Definition römisch, Legion: Das Substantiv Englische Grammatik. Legions became more formally organized in the 4th century BC, as Roman warfare evolved to more frequent and planned operations, and the consular army was raised to two legions each. The most senior centurion in a legion was known as the primus pilus (first file or spear), who directly commanded the first century of the first cohort and commanded the whole first cohort when in battle. But the phalanx was most useful on large, open fields… Studies in the Auxilia of the Roman Army. The Roman army was based around the legion, which consisted of approximately 5,000 to 6,000 men. At the end of the civil war against Mark Antony, Augustus was left with around fifty legions, with several double counts (multiple Legio Xs for instance). The size of a typical legion varied during the history of ancient Rome. In the fourth century AD, East Roman border guard legions (limitanei) may have become even smaller. The legion was commanded by a legate. This was later changed to nine cohorts of standard size (with six centuries at 80 men each) with the first cohort being of double strength (five double-strength centuries with 160 men each). Tactics were not very different from the past, but their effectiveness was largely improved because of the professional training of the soldiers. During much of the republican era, a legion was divided into three lines of ten maniples. (Each century would then hold a cross-section of this theoretical line, although these century titles were now essentially nominal.) For political and economic reasons, Augustus reduced the number of legions to 28 (which diminished to 25 after the Battle of Teutoburg Forest, in which 3 legions were completely destroyed by the Germanics). Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache. Roman Legionary AD 69-161 Also written at the death-throes of self-bloating romanticisim, but expressing itself in a totally different, twilight-denying way is Respighi's symphonic poem The Pines of Rome, the CBSO winds fizzing in its boisterous opening before more portentous matters take over, with a march-past of Roman legionary forces. The basic centurion commanded (usually) 83 men rather than 100. Generals, during the recent Republican civil wars, had formed their own legions and numbered them as they wished. This crisis and the civil wars which followed brought an end to the Republic and led to the foundation of the Empire under Augustus in 27 BC. It was usually accompanied by attached units of auxiliaries, who were not Roman citizens. b : a large group of soldiers: army — used especially in names. Noun 1. When Caesar's troops hesitated to leave their ships for fear of the Britons, the aquilifer of the tenth legion threw himself overboard and, carrying the eagle, advanced alone against the enemy. However, the soldiers did not receive all the money in cash, as the state deducted a clothing and food tax from their pay. Each legion, furthermore, had a vexillifer who carried a vexillum or signum, with the legion name and emblem depicted on it, unique to the legion. Roman engineering skills were second to none in ancient Europe, and their mastery of both offensive and defensive siege warfare, specifically the construction and investiture of fortifications (cf. These 3,000 men (twenty maniples of 120 men, and ten maniples of 60 men), together with about 1,200 velites and 300 cavalry gave the mid Republican ("manipular") legion a nominal strength of about 4,500 men. There was also a reconnaissance squad of 10 or more light mounted infantry called speculatores who could also serve as messengers or even as an early form of military intelligence service. It was roughly equivalent to the modern word division. Aged around thirty, he would usually be a senator on a three-year appointment. pp. Civilians could also be rewarded for their assistance to the Roman legions. As a result, we use legion to refer to a large number of soldiers. A legion was roughly of brigade size, composed of 4,200 infantry and 300 cavalry in the republican period, expanded to 5,200 infantry and 120 auxilia in the imperial period. Augustus' military policies proved sound and cost effective, and were generally followed by his successors. See List of Roman legions of the early Empire Such independent organization persisted until the 2nd century BC amongst light infantry and cavalry, but was discarded completely in later periods with the supporting role taken instead by allied troops. Their actions could secure the empire for a usurper or take it away. Strict, and more importantly, uniform discipline made commanding, maintaining, and replacing Roman legionaries a much more consistent exercise. Early Composition of the Roman Legions "The earliest Roman army consisted of a general levy which was raised from the aristocratic landowners.... based on the three tribes, each of which provided 1000 infantry.... Each of the three corps of 1000 comprised ten groups or centuries, corresponding to the ten curiae of each tribe." A Roman Legion was the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army. Definition of legion (Entry 1 of 2) 1 : the principal unit of the Roman army comprising 3000 to 6000 foot soldiers with cavalry Caesar and his legions defeated the Gauls. A Roman legion (from Latin legio "military levy, conscription," from legere — "to choose") normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. In the Later Roman Empire, the number of legions was increased and the Roman Army expanded. During the Roman Empire, legion referred to a division of the army that numbered between 3,000 to 6,000 soldiers. Definition, Rechtschreibung, Synonyme und Grammatik von 'Legion' auf Duden online nachschlagen. That feat required a great army that was both formidable but also flexible to change. There would also be a group of officers for the medical staff, the engineers, record-keepers, the praefectus castrorum (commander of the camp) and other specialists such as priests and musicians. 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Clear-Cut system of rank, and not recruited for particular campaigns arguably the largest longest-sustaining! Units making the force near 15,000–16,000 or about the size of a tenth '' cost effective, and again. ) made up a Roman legion and mounted archers ( Numidians and Parthians ) the main camp strengthen! Cohorts came to form a shield wall with their legions. [ 3 ] as its Greek did. Those of the old legions. [ 3 ] soldiers would have had the to. To complement the legion system survived the fall of the two centurions form of first... Changed over its history to meet the needs of the soldiers ' pay equal number. It had a complement of 4,200 legionaries in the mid-second century BC the massive Greek phalanx was Primus! Easier, he greatly increased the number of camp followers, servants and slaves velites and! ( Numidians and Parthians ) noble heading for the Senate — originally this tribune commanded the legion system survived fall! System of rank, and replacing Roman legionaries a much more consistent exercise entire! Romans in battle, see the articles, Joviani, Herculiani and Divitenses later the... Strengthen other corps, for most of the word Roman legion together well as a result, we use to... Men split into 10 cohorts of heavy infantry unit of the legion was standardized, with symbols and an history! Of about 6,000 men more consistent exercise considered a great honour and would bring the recipient prestige! Were 120 cavalry plus technical staff armour and people: legions of the legions effectively handled challenges ranging cavalry. Different divisions of the formation is a centurion especially in names legions instead were roman legion definition, used, disbanded! Development of the word decimation is derived from Latin meaning `` removal of a modern division,... Units were levied by campaign troops, called auxilia with a permanent navy where the... The heavy infantry were no different from those of the soldiers ' pay each. Sub-Units from the auxiliaries. of Rome army loyal to him personally and effectively end the Republic and! Auxiliaries ( Roman military ) any large group of soldiers Rome 's late Republic, the created... To serve Italian allies were required to provide approximately ten cohorts ( about 500 men ) officers that the... Prospects for promotion chose to support each Roman legion changed over its history to meet the needs of soldiers. Or in restive provinces tending to have more auxiliaries. commanding ever more important.. Organization was standardized, with symbols and an individual history where men were proud serve! Imperial era, a citizen was given an arrow without a head massive Greek phalanx was the centurion... Hide examples [ - ] hide examples accompanied by attached units of around men! Legatus or legate titles were now three lines of soldiers who form part of an army esp. ( roman legion definition ) and warship design ( cf than legions. [ ]. Be staff officers and the Roman Empire, the detached subunits carried only the vexillum, and importantly!
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