The Roman Army!
The most powerful army of all time!
Why was the Roman Army the root of its' success
The Roman Empire was most commonly know for its' massive army. Have you ever heard of a famous Roman poet? How about a Roman philosopher? And an actor? No, that's probably because they didn't place that much importance on creativity or leisure activities. Most of their 12 centuries of rule was focused on developing, changing and even recreating their own army. The Romans aren't known as the most powerful army of all time for nothing.
Ancient Rome started as a small village in Italy. It started growing in the 4th century BC and expanded forward for the next ten centuries. By around 120 AD the Empire had expanded throughout almost all of Europe, some of Northern Africa and some of the Middle East. Although the Empire was so vast, the core of the Empire was still located in Rome. Ever major decision within the Empire was proposed and voted on in Rome. Every city within the Empire looked to Rome as a superior city. It was a symbol of strength. Anyone traveling to Rome was considered very fortunate. Rome was the seat of the government that lasted for nearly 12 centuries.
The definition of the Roman soldier has evolved with time. Originally, only tax paying landowners were obliged to serve. They had to pay for their uniform and equipment. The structure of the army reflected the one of society but was not efficient enough when the Empire started to expand. Marius (200 BC) totally revamped the army by removing the property qualification. All citizens (between 17 and 45 years old) were eligible and would be fully equipped, armed and trained. The Roman soldier became a volunteer recruit who had to take an oath of allegiance (sacramentum) that would change the course of his life for the next 20 years. He was the subject of his generals' authority and could kill anyone if ordered. The Roman soldiers (legionary) became professionals, carefully brainwashed to become killing machines trained to fight until death. Progressively, the recruitment was extended to non-Romans citizens (auxiliary) who would serve for 25 years and then earn their citizenship.
The Roman army was very strict when it came to organization. Everything they did was carefully planned and had no room for error. The army was composed of a group of 5,000 called a legion, each legion was commanded by a senator. The legion was further divided into cohorts, which were led by a military tribune. Finally the cohorts were broken into centuries. Two centuries made up a maniple. The centuries were the major units of the army. The camp layout was also a very vital yet rigid part of the Roman army. Whether it was a permanent camp or just a night stay, any Roman soldier could feel safe sleeping in their tent.
Every was highly secured with guards, meaning that no unidentified personnel could enter without permission. The location was also very key. The Romans strategically placed their camp in an advantageous position such the top of a hill to give them the height advantage.
The uniqueness of the Roman Army was it's capacity to adapt and learn through watching it's enemies. An example is in the Battle of Silva Arsia. Lucius Brutus learned what their weaknesses were and how they preferred to fight. He learned their tactics and strategies until he knew everything there was to learn about the Etruscan forces. He and his fellow consul led the Roman army into war, knowing all the Etruscan strategies. Basically, the Roman figured that by knowing the enemies strengths, they could also learn their weaknesses and use that to their advantage. They also realized that by learning from their own mistakes, they would find out what would be better to do.
Rome greatly expanded over the first two centuries AD. They had started as a little village in the center of Italy but used their advanced Tactics and strategies to expand and "take over" Europe. It all stated around 510 BC. The Romans decided that their enormous conquest would begin then. By 270 BC the Romans had conquered all of northern and central Italy. Then by 70 AD the Romans had conquered all of Italy, France, Greece central Europe and most of Spain. Finally by 140 AD they Had conquered Southern United Kingdom and Northern Africa as well as most of the Middle East.
As the Romans were conquering Europe, they also were incorporating other cultures into their own. However, they were also spreading their own culture throughout their increasing Empire. As these nations were conquered, they benefited from Roman rule. They acquired Roman public baths, good roads, and protection and a very decent water supply. Roman law was also instituted in these nations which order, court systems and fair judgement. Nations also benefited economically from the immense Roman wealth. Trading was made easier for not only the Romans but also the rest of the Empire since they now share resources.
Although it may seem that the Roman conquests happened over night, it did not. It took hundreds of battles and centuries, they conquered slowly but surely. Their success was granted by their combination of sophistication, endurance and persistence with brutality, tyranny and greed. These were also the reasons of their downfall. Another significant reason they fell was that their Empire was too vast to be controlled by one army. The Romans aren't known as the most powerful army of all time for nothing.