4/12/2012

1

22.

The Army of

Early Italy

From the Early Iron Age

to the eve of

the Punic Wars

Centuriate Organization

Class Property Armor Weapons Troops

Senatorial

I

125,000 Helmet, clipeus, greaves, breastplate

Spear

Sword

80

Equestrian

I

100,000 Helmet, clipeus, greaves, breastplate

Spear

sword

18

II 75,000 Helmet, scutum, greaves Spear

sword

20

III 50,000 Helmet, scutum Spear

sword

20

IV 25,000 [scutum] javelin 20

V 11,000 - Sling, stones

30

Proletariat - - 5

4/12/2012

2

Militarized the population

• Entire population organized as a fighting force

• Populus

– Etymology seems to be from "army"

• Derived verb populari means "devastate"

– Assembly of "army" replaces earlier assembly of curias

– In the Late Republic means "body politic" or “People”

– In Empire it means the “dejected poor”

Roman Republic 509–30 BCE

• Latins in Rome now at

war with Etruscans

• Rome formed a

government based on

the census system

(senatorial oligarchy)

• They begin to expand

throughout central

Italy (Latin League)

Bronze bust of L. Junius Brutus Capitoline Museum, Rome

4/12/2012

3

Roman farmer/soldier (before Punic Wars)

• Backbone of the Roman army – Plough and cultivate from harvest to sowing – Then go on seasonal military campaign (Summer and

mid Autumn)

• Every peasant (from age 17-46 y.o.) liable for infantry service for 16 years – signed up for length of command – more than ½ served ≤ 7 years

• Soldiers had to possess property to enroll in the army – amount slowly decreased until 101 BCE

L. Quinctius Cincinnatus

George Washington

as the “American

Cincinnatus”

Life of the Peasant • Generally under-employed • Hard labor every day required for food production • Potential for falling into nexum “debt bondage”

– Abolished by 326 BCE

• Average life expectancy was around 24 years • Infants considered “unfit” were commonly exposed

Ancient 24 years

Modern

78.3 years

4/12/2012

4

Roman Expansion

490-390: Osco-Umbrian Wars

406-396: Siege at Veii

386: Rome sacked by Gauls

343: 1st Samnite War

341-338: Romano-Latin War

327-304: 2nd Samnite War

298-290: 3rd Samnite War

280-272: Pyrrhus War

Osco-Umbrian Invasions (490s -390s)

Key Umbrian peoples:

Hernici (allies)

Aequi Marsi Sabini Volsci Vestini Umbri

Italic people who lived in the mountains and lived a nomadic existence and often struggled against sedentary farmers. (war for resources)

Constant aggression between various Umbrians and the Roman-Latin alliance from 490s -390s

War with Etruscans at Veii

Three wars were fought between Rome and the Etruscan city of Veii

483-474 BCE Veientine War I

437-435 BCE Veientine War II

406-396 BCE Veientine War III

(seige of Veii)

4/12/2012

5

Siege at Veii

(406-396 BCE )

• Siege lasted 10

years

• Livy reports that

the general

Marcus Camillus

drained the lake

that provided the

water supply

• Shows Rome’s

desire to expand

and growing

sophistication of

military tactics

Rome

Veii

Lake Alba

Italy Invaded by Gauls

Celtic expansion into Italy

“Reforms of Camillus”

• M. Camillus instituted

pay to the soldiers

• built (or rebuilt) the

walls around Rome in

375

• credited by Livy with

reorganizing army from

hoplite phalanx to

maniple (not Polybius)

The so called “Servian” Wall

4/12/2012

6

The Latin Revolt (341-338)

The Roman Commonwealth (338)

Latin cities: closest to Rome and given voting rights and citizenship (taxed in troops)

Municipium: communities who received ½ citizenship (troop tax)

• the right to marry

• the right to migrate; own property

• the right to do business with and in Rome

• No vote

End of the Latin League Treaty of Cassius broken

Now each had to sign separate agreement with differing legal rights:

1) Incorporation Most of the remaining Latin communities around Rome were

directly absorbed into the Roman state.

2) Continued Latin status These towns lost the communal Latin rights (commercium,

conubium, change of residence) between themselves but retained them with Rome.

These towns provided military contingents for the Roman army.

3) Non-voting citizenship civitas sine suffragio: "citizenship without the vote“ A person with such citizenship was called a municeps = "taker of

duties." A town of such citizens was called a municipium.

Roman Colonies

Cales

Fregellae

Foundation of Fregellae on the Liris provoked war with the Samnites

In 291 Venusia established

in the center of Samnite territory

In 273, Cosa in S. Etruria

and Paestum in southern Italy used to maintain Roman control after the departure of Pyrrhus

In the 260s Beneventum and Aesernia were sent to Samnite territory

4/12/2012

7

Samnite Wars

1st Samnite War (343-41)

• Rome controls Campania

2nd Samnite War (327-304)

• Rome defeated at Battle of Caudine Forks but win war

3rd Samnite War (298-90)

• Victory at Sentinum (295) opens up the rest of central

Italy

Samnite Warriors Fresco at Pompeii

4/12/2012

8

Two Roman consuls leading an invading force into Samnium were trapped in a mountain pass known as the Caudine Forks

– could neither advance nor retire

– would have been annihilated if they had not submitted to the humiliating terms

Battle of Caudine Forks (321 BCE)

“under the yoke”

1 Century = 80 men

1 Maniple = 2 Centuries = 160 men

3 Maniples = 1 Cohort

Page 108 of WAW textbook

pilum: iron tipped spear for throwing and lancing

4/12/2012

9

Hellenistic Kingdoms

Ptolemaic

Seleucid

Antigonid

Parthian

Mauryan

Epirus

Carthaginian

Pergamon

Roman

Pyrrhus invades Italy 280 BCE

• Hellenistic king from Epirus in Western Greece – claimed decent from Alexander

• Invited by Greek cities in S. Italy to take part in a civil war and check Roman expansion

• First time a professional Macedonian phalanx fights the Roman maniple legion

• The outcome gives Rome military confidence to expand even further

3,000 cavalry 2,000 archers 500 slingers 20,000 Mac hoplites 20 war elephants

4/12/2012

10

Wars with Pyrrhus 280 Pyrrhus lands in Tarentum with 25,000 troops and 20 war elephants

279 Defeats Rome at

Battle of Heraclea 279 Battle of Asculum:

Pyrrhus wins but loses so many troops called “Pyrrhic victory”

278 sails to Sicily only to be forced out by the Carthaginians

275 Battle of Malventum: Romans finally win and change the name of the city of Beneventum 272 leaves Italy and ravages Greece. Killed in Argos by an old woman with a roof tile.

Discussion of Roman Army • Legion

– Latin word legio originally a verbal abstraction that signifies "selection.“

• Terms Of Service – The military of the early and middle Republic was a militia of

the landowners

• Roman Tactics – military superiority through development of the maniple

system of organization

• Officers – original four legions assigned to the consuls were elected – centurion appointed from the ranks by the commander on the

basis of bravery and other merit

• Troops – Cavalry – Allies

4/12/2012

11

Roman Imperialism: Rome unified (conquered) Italy in 100 years

Why did Rome expand? Was it…

• Social: every Roman citizen (and allies) had to

serve in the army

• Economic: wealth and slaves to be gained by

victory

• Cultural: desire for laus and gloria on the

battlefield defined manhood

• Political: military fame helped get one get

elected to office

• Spiritual: the belief that the world would be

better off under Roman administration (cosmic

order under Roman law)

Next Step: The Punic Wars