What happened to the Germanic tribes in the Roman Empire?
As Germanic tribes invaded Rome, centralized control of the Empire faded. While some tribes, like the Franks, assimilated into Roman culture and became an established part of the society, others, like the Anglo-Saxons, kept their own native culture dominant.
How did the Germanic warbands affect the Roman Empire?
In the early imperial period, however, Germanic warbands inflicted one of Rome's greatest military defeats, (the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest) which saw the destruction of three imperial legions and was to place a limit on Roman expansion in the West.
How did the Roman Empire defeat their enemies?
In their battles against a wide variety of opponents, Rome's ruthless persistence, greater resources and stronger organization wore down their opponents over time. Rome's massive manpower supply was the foundation of this approach. Opponents could be relentlessly weakened and exhausted over the long run.
Why did the tribes of Europe resist the Roman Empire?
The tribes of Europe did not have a state or economic structure able to support lengthy campaigns and therefore could often (but not always) be made to change their minds about opposing Roman hegemony.
Why did the Roman army destroy the camp?
After staying in the camp for some time, the army would destroy the camp to prevent its use by the enemy, and then continue moving. The commanders of the Roman army might try to gather intelligence on the enemy. The commander would try to boost the morale of his soldiers during the march.
Why was the Roman army silent during the Battle of Trebia River?
Political considerations, exhaustion of supplies, or even rivalry between commanders for glory could also spark a forward launch, as at the Battle of the Trebia River. The Roman army after the Marian reforms was also unique in the ancient world because when lined up opposite an enemy readying for battle it was completely silent except for the orders of officers and the sound of trumpets signalling orders. The reason for this was because the soldiers needed to be able to hear such instruction, the Optios of the Legions would patrol behind the century and anyone who was talking or failing to obey orders immediately was struck with the stick of the optio. This silence also had the unintended consequence of being very intimidating to its enemies because they recognized this took immense discipline to achieve before a battle.
How many maniples were there in the Roman army?
Cavalrymen went into battle with their torsos bare. The legion of the Early Roman Republic was divided into 30 120-160 men strong maniples organized into 3 lines of 10 maniples. In front of the main infantrymen were skirmishers called Velites. The Velites would fight in a swarm of uncoordinated soldiers.
What was the Roman army made of?
Roman Infantry of the Late Empire. The army of the Late Roman Empire would consist of the Limitanei and Comitatenses armies. The Germanic tribes would contribute paramilitary units called Foederati to the Roman army. The Limitanei would defend the borders of the Empire from small attacks by the Germanic peoples.
What were the advantages of the Roman infantry?
Phalanxes might deepen their ranks heavily to add both stamina and shock power, but their general approach still favoured one massive line, as opposed to the deep three-layer Roman arrangement. The advantage of the Roman system is that it allowed the continual funnelling or metering of combat power forward over a longer period—massive, steadily renewed pressure to the front —until the enemy broke. Deployment of the second and third lines required careful consideration by the Roman commander. Deployed too early, and they might get entangled in the frontal fighting and become exhausted. Deployed too late, and they might be swept away in a rout if the first line began to break. Tight control had to be maintained, hence the 3rd line triarii were sometimes made to squat or kneel, effectively discouraging premature movement to the front. The Roman commander was thus generally mobile, constantly moving from spot to spot, and often riding back in person to fetch reserves if there was no time for standard messenger service. A large number of officers in the typical Roman army, and the flexible breakdown into sub-units like cohorts or maniples greatly aided coordination of such moves.
What did the Roman Legionaries carry?
They carried around tools such as a dolabra, a wooden stave, a shallow wicker, and a basket. These tools would be used for building the castrum. Sometimes Roman soldiers would have mules that carried equipment.
What were the logistics of the Roman army?
Roman logistics were among some of the best in the ancient world over the centuries, from the deployment of purchasing agents to systematically buy provisions during a campaign, to the construction of roads and supply caches, to the rental of shipping if the troops had to move by water. Heavy equipment and material (tents, artillery, extra weapons and equipment, millstones etc.) were moved by pack animal and cart, while troops carried weighty individual packs with them, including staves and shovels for constructing the fortified camps. Typical of all armies, local opportunities were also exploited by troops on the spot, and the fields of peasant farmers who were near the zone of conflict might be stripped to meet army needs. As with most armed forces, a variety of traders, hucksters, prostitutes and other miscellaneous service providers trailed in the wake of the Roman fighting men.
