Roman Tatics

• When would legionaries throw their pilums?

  At the beginning of a battle, both armies would advance at one another. When they got close enough, the Roman legionaries

  would throw their pilum at the enemy.
• Why would Roman legionaries need to be able to defend themselves from all angles?

  The army would advance closer the enemy to fight at close quarters in loose formation. This meant they would fight near to one another, but not in a strict formation like the phalanx. So they would not only be engaging with the enemy frontally, as the phalanx did.
• What is the testudo formation?

  A Roman military formation, where shields would be locked together to form a wall against projectiles. The formation would move close to the enemy so they could fight at close quarters. The shields could even form a ramp, helping soldiers to climb to the top of an enemy wall.
• How would the Roman army force an enemy surrounded by high walls out?


  A popular siege tactic was to surround the fortification, preventing anyone getting in or out. Eventually the food and/or water would run out and they would be forced to surrender.
• What would a siege tower be used for?

  Siege towers could be used to make scaling the walls of an enemy town/fort safer. • A tower would typically be on wheels and would contain ladders to allow soldiers to climb to a height where they could get over the enemy walls. • Archers would also stand on of top the tower and fire arrows down into the town/fort.
• How else could the Roman army get to an enemy behind walls?

  Walls and gates could be broken with rams.

  • Once the walls fell, the Roman infantrymen could enter the city and fight hand-to-hand.

  • Battering rams were typically made of wood and metal, and rolled on wheels.
• What is artillery?

  Large scale devices used for firing projectiles.
• What was a ballista/catapulta?

  Like a crossbow, used to fire bolts with high accuracy.
• What was an onager?

  A device with a single arm used to fling rocks at enemies.