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The Roman legion (Latin: legiō, Latin: [ˈɫɛɡioː]), the largest military unit of the Roman army, was composed of Roman citizens serving as legionaries. During the Roman Republic the manipular legion comprised 4,200 infantry and 300 cavalry.
Legion, a military organization, originally the largest permanent organization in the armies of ancient Rome. The term legion also denotes the military system by which imperial Rome conquered and ruled the ancient world. The expanding early Roman Republic found the Greek phalanx formation too.
It was a highly organized and disciplined fighting force that played a crucial role in the expansion and maintenance of the Roman Empire. On this page, we'll explore the history and structure of the Roman legion, its tactics and weapons, and its legacy in military history.
This is a list of Roman legions, including key facts about each legion, primarily focusing on the Principate (early Empire, 27 BC – 284 AD) legions, for which there exists substantial literary, epigraphic and archaeological evidence.
Though its exact origins are unknown, the Roman legion seems to have developed from the phalanx. In fact, it was a collection of small, well-integrated, well-coordinated phalanxes arrayed in checkerboard formation and operating as a team.
Feb 1, 2024 · Expansive yet deeply personal, this exhibition transports you across the empire, as well as through the life and service of a real Roman soldier, Claudius Terentianus, from enlistment and campaigns to enforcing occupation then finally, in Terentianus' case, retirement.
Oct 18, 2023 · Publication date: 18 October 2023. While males of noble birth were expected to serve as part-time soldiers, the bulk of the Roman army was a professional army of commoners. Most stories of the Roman empire describe the history of powerful men but Legion takes a different course.
