Organisation and command of the military

• Legion

  Basic unit of roman army

  Made up of 30 legions, made up 10 cohorts each
• cohort and century and contubernium

  cohort - 480 men

  century - 80 men

  contubernium - 8 men
• positions of responsibility

  legatus - commander of whole legion

  camp prefect- in charge of day to day running of legion

  tribune - junior manager who spend time in army before becoming politicians

  Tessarius- commander of watch + organises passwords and guards

  centurion - commander of century

  optio - centurion second in command

  primi ordines - centurions first cohort - important
• support roles in legion

  cornicen - horn player in roman legion

  signifier - standard bearer, called a signum

  aquilifer- carry legions emblem called Aquila in battle

  equites legionis - cavalry unit of roman legion
• Legionary fortress

  Collection of buildings surrounded by defensive design
• principia

  HQ of the fortress and included courtyard

  praetorium - like a luxury villa in legionary fortress for legatus to live in
• The kings of Sparta

  2 kings

  one from each ruling dynasty - agiads and eurypontids

  thought they descended from Heracles , God of gymnasium
• King traits - Sparta

  leaders of military, one would lead army, other would stay

  princes exempt from agoge

  kings religious leaders, perform rituals
• Other things about spartan kings

  spartan kings did not have absolute authority

  council of elders had better

  if king died in battle - honoured as a hero

  taxiarch would take over
• What was the structure of the spartan army like?

  Clear command structure - king in charge

  taxiarch (senior officers) - directly responsible, ensure his orders are taken out

  Army divided into regiments, each divided into subdivisions

  Each subdivision has their own commander
• What oath did all spartan warriors swear to?

  “ i will not desert my taxiarch or the leader, whether he is alive or dead”

  oath of plataea
• name all the regiments and subdivisions

  mora - led by polemarch, made up of lochoi

  lochos- led by a lochagos , made up of penekostys

  penekostys - led by a pentekonter made up of enología

  enomotia- led by enomotarch, made up of 40 men or 3 syssition
• who were periokoi

  non Spartans subjugated by sparta

  allowed to live in small self governed communities
• Perioikoi at peace vs at war

  peace - craftsmen, fishermen, hunters - create useful weapons

  wartime - act as auxiliary army, fight in their own phalanx
• helots at peacetime vs wartime

  peace - spartan source of manual labour, most worked land to make food

  wartime - fight as lightly armoured troops, cooks, message runners
• whilst helots were on campaign, what did spartiates do and why

  risk of helot uprising was present ,Spartans viewed them as enemy within their own state

  Spartans guarded their weapons and killed any helots that were rebellious
• What was motivation for the helots?

  fear - kyrpteia terrorised helot communities, any sign of disobedience was met with murder

  chance to escape - Sparta rewarded brave helots, they earned freedom and became a neodamode and to escape bonds of slavery
• what were the support roles in the spartan army?

  soothsayers - interpret omens from the gods

  surgeons

  flute players
• Who did surgeon roles

  they had to be highly educated and trained in their craft

  these roles are completed by perioikoi or foreigners
• explain the organisation of the athenian army

  divided into 10 regiment or tribes

  each year tribe elected a strategos - general that represented a tribe
• what would the strategoi do and how were they elected

  10 strategoi discuss matters of military strategy, if unanimous decision is not reached, a vote is made

  strategoi were elected, if he did a good job, he is re elected
• Explain the regiments of Athenian army

  regiments made up of lochoi

  each tribe/ regiments had a taxiarch, second in command
• structure of the Athenian navy

  commander of each trireme was trierarch

  they were wealthy but not very experienced, so more experienced members would take charge, like steersmen
• Explain the roman legions

  30 legions throughout empire

  Legions would have names and nicknames
• structure of roman legion

  one legion:

  - 5,000 to 6,000 men divided into 10 cohorts

  • cohort had 6 centuries
  • century had 80 men, led by centurion
• What was the first cohort

  larger and made of most experienced soldiers

  honour, paid more
• what would 120 men in legion be used for

  served as cavalry soldiers - horsemen

  act as scouts in battle
• Roman supprt roles (daily needs) : tesserarius

  organise security schedule

  in charge for rota for guards and changed passwords
• Roman support roles (daily needs) : Immunes

  regular soldier trained with a special skill

  carpenter, engineer, hunter

  men have necessary items and in return are exempt from less pleasant tasks
• Cornicen - roman support roles

  horn player in roman legion

  musical commands used in battle
• what is a standard in roman military

  military banner or decorative pole used to inspire soldiers
• Signifer - roman

  carried a signum

  each century had one

  series of discs or medals on pole
• aquilifer - roman

  carried Aquila

  each legion had one

  shaped like an eagle - represented spirit of legion
• What does it mean to lose Aquila

  very big disgrace

  men would surround it and defend it
• what is the tribunas latí la it’s

  Man from senatorial family

  No military background

  Spend 2 or 3 years serving in cavalry and become a politician

  Legatus second in command
• Tribuni angusticlavius

  5 men from equestrian family so served in cavalry

  commanded detachment

  were lazy
• Explain the roles of a legates

  Was in charge and appointed by emperor

  Usually a career política

  Spend 3 or 4 years serving
• Explain camp prefect

  second in command

  career soldier that worked his way up ladder, prove his ability

  soldier, centurion and then primus pilus

  was made strategic councils and oversee the equipment
• Centurion

  led a century

  Centurions of the first cohort known as primus ordine, very senior position

  Each centurion had a second in command called optio

  Optio helped keep troops in order and talking over from command
• How did a centurion live?

  pay was very high

  lived very comfortably

  this position was a reward for those who had served well