What weapons and tactics did the Romans used in war?

The following museum and artifacts will answer that question.

The Roman Scorpio

This was one of the many long range weapons that the Romans used. While some soldiers were fighting in battle, some archers would use a Scorpio from an averaged 400 meter distance. The Scorpio was basically a cross bow with a stand. There were many types of Scorpios. The one in the picture above is a model called the Cheiroballistra.

The Roman Onagar

The Roman Onagar was basically a catapult. In fact, this is what gave people from the medieval times the idea of a catapult. The Onagar flung multiple kinds of artillery to try to kill enemies in the distance. These kinds of artillery included flaming pitch, rocks, and some kinds of explosives.

This picture shows the formation of the Roman army.

Battle Readiness

Whether it is the wars we fight today, or the wars that were fought, solders getting tired during battle is and was always a problem. The Romans easily solved this by taking “shifts” during battle. When the Romans fought, they tried to stay in a organized formation with rows of soldiers. Every 15 minutes the front row would go to the back. Keeping this cycle means keeping energy for the Romans.

This reenactment photo shows how the Romans fought “shield to shield”.

Shield to Shield Combat

One of the most popular techniques used by the Roman army was the shield to shield techniques. In battle, the Romans would stand with their shields side by side, and over the head of the soldiers in front of them. This made large roman army's the equitant of ranks. Arrows could not stop them, and the people that would rush forward to try to kill the Romans would be quickly disposed.

Romans start to take down the walls of a city, while other hidden soldiers are cutting off food supplies.

Starvation Technique.

The starvation technique was a unique idea developed by the Romans. Romans would surround a civilization cutting off all sources of food for that town. Over weeks, the town would run out of supplies, and start to weaken and die off. During this time, the Romans would start to take down the walls of the city. Together, these two worked beautifully. After a few weeks of this process, the Romans would attack.

This carving shows how close Romans were to each other- like family.

Unity

This is not a technique, but a way to honor your family. The Roman army thought of each other as there brothers. If they ran from battle, they were letting down their family. So whatever the odds of the battle were, the Romans stayed and fought, even if it meant to death.

This reenactment shows two ways the Romans trained: Sword combat and archery.

Training

Romans were trained in multiple different ways. They trained in archery and sword to sword combat, but also focused a lot on survival. Romans soldiers were taught to be able to make anything out of anything. If they were stuck in the wilderness with nothing but a robe, they would have been able to thrive.

The Roman Pilium

The Roman pilium was a very useful weapon. The pilium was jabbed into the enemies shield, breaking it. Without a shield, the enemies became much more vulnerable. This weapon was also used as a throwing spear, in times that improvisation was key.

Roman scutum

The Roman scutum is the shield they used during battle. This shield measured 40 inches tall, and 30 inches wide. It was usually made out of wood. These shields were curved to make it harder for enemies to attack from the sides, or flank them. The “horn” on the front was used to smash enemies.

The Gladius

The gladius was a short sword used to thrust into nearby enemies. Instead of a long heavy sword that took up lots of energy; even when you were just carrying it, the gladius is a short, efficient, and storable sword. These swords were also cheaper and easier to make than the longer swords, that required more resources and effort.

The Orb

The orb was a complete circle formed by soldiers that would be separated from the main group, and or surrounded by enemies. This stance was usually known as the “last stand” and was not a position that soldiers wanted to find themselves in. In the Orb, archers would be in the middle, and sword men in the front.

The Wedge

The wedge was an aggressive line was aimed to break up enemy lines. The wedge was a triangle that dived into the center of the the other enemies lines. Breaking up the other side(s) formation was sometimes the key to winning that fight.

Bibliography

"Roman Weapons and Tactics." Roman Weapons and Tactics. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June 2013. http://www.richeast.org/htwm/greeks/romans/weapons/weapons.html

"Roman Army, The." 1998. Online. 30 Oct 1999. http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/romans/army.htm

"Military Equipment." 1998. Online. 21 Oct 1999. http://geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/6622/equipment.html

"Mighty Roman Legions, The." 1997. Online. 30 Oct 1999. <http://myronsjsu.edu/romeweb/romarmy/art.18.htm>