ROME. While to the Greek belongs the credit of developing warfare into a science, it was left to the Roman legionary, with his per fect discipline and still more perfect organiza tion, to make it effective. The leading char acteristic of the Roman soldier was discipline lather than individual prowess. Great national characters like Camillus, Cincinnatus, Papirius Cursor, and Fabius 'Maximus were not so much heroes or strategists as commanders and dis ciplinarians. The fact that the Roman soldier was never the military equal of the Greek hoplite at his hest, and that he had no great advantage, man to man, in a pitched battle even with sav ages, was demonstrated over and over again dur ing his career of world conquest.
In the earliest period of Roman military his tory, all able-bodied citizens, under the King as commander-in-chief, were compelled to serve in the army in time of war. It was under Servins Tullius, however (according to Ro man legends, the sixth King of Rome, B.C. 578 534), that the first real organization took place. On the basis of a property qualification, citizens were divided into classes or grades (mita/ice); and each class subdivided into seniorrs, or elderly men, assigned only to light garrison duty, and juniores, or effective war riors; with the addition of two centuries of fabri (pioneers), two of cornicines (military musi cians), and one of proletarii. The armies were made up by tribal levies, made in a general public assembly, usually on the Campus tins, and each tribe was called upon to furnish an equal number of men. Out of a total of r'5.000 men, there would he 3000 seniores and 17,000 pinion's. The soldiers thus chosen were formed into four legions and a cavalry corps of about 1800 horsemen. The legion (q.v.) on ser vice consisted normally of about 3000 men, not including the relites, or lightly armed skirmish ers, and a squadron of cavalry. In regular forma tion the hastati (heavily armed infantry), about 1200 strong, and arranged in 10 files, constituted the advance guard ; following, was a similar body of prinripes, and a reserve or rear-guard of triarii, usually arranged in 5 files.
The equipment of all three divisions was practically identical, and consisted of a short cutting and thrusting sword worn on the right thigh; two javelins, one light and one heavy; metal breastplate, large shield, and brazen helmet and greaves. The Roman attack differed from that of the Greek phalanx, in that, instead of fighting shoulder to shoulder and closing in together as gaps were made, they adopted a loose formation, which permitted the soldiers in the rear to fill up gaps caused by casualties, and thus maintained their front intact. In
combat the triarii used the pilum, a short, heavy spear which they threw into the ranks of the enemy before engaging them with the sword. The three divisions of the legion (has principes, and triarii) were each arranged in ten companies (manipoli), to each of which was assigned a detachment of rc/itcs. The manipulus was under the command of a cen turion (centurio), whose lieutenant was a junior centurion. In the event of the dis ablement or absence of the officer commanding the legion, command would devolve on the senior centurion of the first company of the reserve (triarii). Normally, the chief command was taken two months at a time by each of the six military tribunes (tribuni tni/ituni). With the first civil war, however, arose the necessity of a single permanent chief, which arrangement was eventually adopted; a single officer (lega tos) commanding each legion, assisted by a staff composed of the former military tribunes. The year B.C. 276 witnessed the advent of the professional or paid soldier. The long and heavy wars with Pyrrhus and Carthage led to the formation of a regular army; so that dat ing from the time of Marius (or from the be ginning of the First Century n.c.) the enlisted man served for a period of twenty years. The legion, as now arranged, was composed of 6000 men, divided into 10 cohorts of 600 men each, all armed with the pliant. The relites were replaced by foreign mercenaries, of whom the most famous were sagittarii (bowmen) from Crete; laculatores (javelin men) from Maure tania; and funditores (slingers) from the Baleares. With the exception of a few Roman equites, who held the more important positions, the cavalry also was entirely foreign. Organ ized into cohorts were auxiliary troops of in fantry and cavalry. The next reorganization took place toward the close of the First Century B.C. under Augustus, who, besides confirming the period of service as twenty years, also introduced the pensioning of veterans. Twenty five legions were now established and dis tributed in different parts of the Empire. Subsequently great changes took place in the army. The typical Roman soldier was no longer the invincible legionary, who, covered by his shield, had fought his way through the most stubborn pikemen, beaten back great hordes of Eastern horsemen, and resisted the wild rushes of impetuous Celts and Germans.