Акежан Толеухан actually while I think it’s an exaggeration, it wouldn’t surprise me. Due to lack of quick communication, generals would have to be in the thick of it to direct the troops, which would mean a higher general casualty.
@@bogustoast22none25 Actually, roman generals WEREN'T in the thick of things, something that greeks in the time of Philip V thought was cowardly. This proved advantageous to the romans, for example in the Battle of Cynoscephalae this allowed them to outmanouvre the seemingly invincible phalanx. Also, casualties in ancient battles actually were quite low, especially for the Victors (for example, Alexander lost about 1 000 killed out of an ary of close to 50 000 at the Hydaspes, which is considered his bloodiest battle). Annihilations like the one at Cannae were the exception, not the norm.
Imagine living as a legionaire at the height of Romes prosperity. On campaigns for 12 years living and experiencing every extreme and inbetween that the world throws at you. Discipline, hardships, fear, pain, power, tragedy, victory and glory. That is truly living on a level we cant know. Centurions and legionaires did that and even survived it all. Their mental and physical strength was probably intoxicating at times.
They weren't alone in such endeavours. It was just their time. Like all other empires. Sooner or later, things change. Mismanagement by Rulers, Governments, Moral Changes, etc.
Imagine the craziness it was being the first Roman legions venturing out in to Gaul and Germania. Your comrades venturing into unknown dense, dark, foggy forests, coming across various creatures and bizarre relics of an unknown people. Scouts encounter mysterious people with long hair and painted faces. Crazy
@@amandag.6186 Another world war? Who will that benefit exactly? Trudging through a world engulfed with nuclear winter, ha, yer, that will get us 'back on our feet'. I bet you will change that tune when they slap a helmet on you, give you a rifle, then order you to run into the enemy fire. "In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons" - Herodotus
I just realized Rome influenced so much of modern society, whether European, Middle East, Asian or what not. Proof that Rome has not died. Rome does not die. For Rome. Rome is Eternal.
Rome is an idea, a shining white marble city on a hill a beacon of civilization in a swamp of chaos. Ideas never die but they slowly fade into the obscurity of the swamp until another takes their place in the hearts of men.
My love of Rome started with Rome: total war back in 2008-2009, and now I find myself reading Edward Gibbon’s “the decline and fall of the Roman Empire” and learning Latin..
@Abu Troll al cockroachistan Romans quickly adapted . They actually captured ctesiphon 5 times and gave it back as generous gift . Rome even had once controlled Mesopotamia, the parthian port in Indian Ocean. Parthians never even came close to rome or even Europe for that matter ..
The practice equipment they trained with was twice as heavy as what they wore into battle. This was specifically done to make the legionnaires stronger, faster and increase their endurance
Yep. The primary reason being that you can't prove whether a guard was incompetent or bribed to let the enemy in. And the punishment for treason has always been death
Bread and vegetables? Roman soldiers ate a lot of pig meat in Castella and castra, and beef (with small percentages of fish and birds like ducks) on outposts and watchtower. Also the body length of Roman soldiers was in fact variable, as archeological evidence reveals one soldier found was over 2 meters tall and others 1,80 m or 1,70 m tall. The question about soldiers being able to be married differs in time. Some periodes it was legal, other times it was not. Still, a nice video as an introduction to the Roman army, but not all mentioned is correct.
Yeah, not to mention the white building at 10:50 , which the citizens of Rome actually despise. It was the tomb of the first Italian king and is built in the late 1800s. It has nothing to do with the Romans, although many old-Roman buildings have been destroyed to create this tomb.
In fact at certain periods they ate even better than most todays soldiers, they were well fed and thats why they had strength to exercise all time along and get stronger not weaker!
Jesus' Apostle, Paul's father was a retired Roman soldier from Tarsus, Paul's citizenship is why he was able to appeal his charges to Caesar, get transported to Rome for trial, and not get as harsh the treatment other early Christians did. That is what makes his story an interesting comparison to others
About 60% of legionnaire work was guarding cities and regions inside the empire acting as something like a police for so legionnare work was long but rewarding
depends if it was war time or not. And they did have a lot of war time. Many their Armies and Legions got obliterated. Last thing those men enjoyed was a retirement. At best they got a quick death.
@@bretonwayde6934 its going to be hard to crouch down and hit the enemies legs when you have a bunch of other people pushing you and swinging their weapons
In England, we are reminded almost daily about Rome when we use our roads and parents often tell their children that it was Rome who revolutionised our country and road system. I took my children and wife (an American) to Greece last summer, this summer in thinking Rome, Italy. The history is fascinating.
@Free Spirited Cat We are reminded of Rome and Greece almost daily. It's in everything, from the roads as mentioned to our laws and our own democracy. Boudicca fought against the Romans, but for what? She was fighting against progress.
The true power behind Rome was their logistical expertise, their ability to transmit and receive information, the roads that allowed for their armies and citizens to travel freely very quickly. It’s often the simplest things that lead to dominance in a culture or civilization, Rome was built on its roads. We see the same thing with the current political, military, and economic dominance with the US’s logistical expertise, their military is so dominant because they have the capacity, to feed, fuel, transport and house their entire military even under siege and at the frontline in war extraordinarily quickly and efficiently. The US was technologically inferior to the Germans in WW2, yet German POWs remarked on how even under siege the American soldiers had fresh food being delivered to the frontlines under fire while the German soldiers were rationing what little they had left despite being superior in firepower, skill and technology and knew they stood no chance of winning. It is often stated by soldiers who have survived combat against the US, that they rarely remember seeing the soldiers fighting and instead remember constant bombardment and artillery and that by the time soldiers came into view they were already defeated
Actually you are completely in the wrong on that third paragraph in using WW2 examples of the USA and Germany. The U.S. always had better guns and rationing, unless you talk about tanks which the Germans excelled in, but everything else was Allied dominated. The germans relied on the very logistics and tactics you praise, and for the entire war were behind in technology, they were organized and united unlike their allies in Italy and Japan who were disorganized and just threw bodies at people. Rome was not built on its roads Rome was built on its culture which defined how it would evolve.
@@FoeReaper "Rome was built on its culture which defined how it would evolve" and also their downfall because the late romans forgot what made them great in the first place, and other reasons
I actually dont remember being forced to stay celibate. I got married when deployed on tour in Alesia with a local pleb girl and no one gave a sesterci.
They weren't expected to be celibate. The Legion even provided prostitutes to the men on occasion and some auxiliaries were actually paid in visits to brothels. It's just that they couldn't get married because the responsibilities of men with families often takes their mind off of military duty.
kingley45 if we did same sized forced, I give it to the Spartans, purely for the fact they’re trained from birth to fight, but the Romans are more heavily armored. If we didnt do same sized forces, then romans. They can gather several legions compared to Spartans who at max could have 10,000 at their highest peak.
@@namaske2594 they had the hoplite armour like other Hellenistic states, thats all, don't tell me you imagine a Spartan with same type of armour as a Legionnary or a Medieval Knight
Sagess Aries the documentary is in English. In English LEGIONARY = Soldier in the ancient Roman army. LEGIONNAIRE = Soldier in the modern French Foreign Legion.
I think perhaps you're over romanticizing as someone else stated. While perhaps more reserved than your average tribal combatant, this is Classical Antiquity, Europe was brutal and I'm sure many people had to fit in to that mold in order to survive. Additionally if we're talking about official modern armies, I'd argue they are more than likely far more amicable on average due to the severity of punishment for breaking conventions.. which is only sometimes doled out, but that's a topic for an other time.
1: greaves were mostly for officers, exclusively. 2: The tortuous formation was for sieges, exclusively. 3: Most Imperial Roman armor was made of steel, not plain iron. 4: in reality, Romans were just angry Italian dads with swords.
Fantastic video!!!! Knowing that one of the greatest and most effectives armies of all time was made of short people was a huuuuge moral boost to me, usually the common mindset towards short individuals in any competitive endeavor is: "oh, you're short?! You're DEAD!" After knowing all this about them i'm even more curious now! Thank you so much for the video.
The Lorica Segmentata was actually used during a very short period of time and by few troops compared to the Lorica Hamata, which saw widespread service after the Marian reform. This is because the Lorica Segmentata was harder to maintain as it required specialized equipment and skills to repair and maintain. But also because it was probably uncomfortable and more expensive.
1:58 There is a massive mistake there about the height of a Roman conscript. They are usuall tall by average to even be part of a Legio, the most interesring part is that an average legionnaire is required to be above 5.5 feet tall for some Legio and a minority with higher than that height. Shorter Romans are not hired to join the Legio unless if he fits the requirements of Auxilia and Cavalry standards.
@@henryloep9449 no I really wouldn't. My Italian friends are well above 6 feet. And you really can't over generalize too much without a source. I'm simply asking data for a backup if you're gonna tell a story like a historian unless you are quoting it.
@@Likeaworm so did the Romans. Just a matter of which one lasted longer. And in the end one only lasted longer than the other because they were more ruthless and less civilized. But those same traits eventually cost them their entire Empire just the same.
Thank you for keeping the profane out of this. The Legionnaires were one of Rome's most sacred treasures. The spirit of the Legionnaires lives still to this day and is strong as ever. We are legion. We are many. We are one.
While modern armies is still inspired by some of the Legio organisation, it draws more notoriously of the corps system introduced by Napoleon in his "Grande Armée". It should come as no surprise that Napoleon was a huge fan of one of the most successful roman leader: Julius Caesar. As for the Testudo formation it was not that often used (and isn't exactly a phalanx) as such tight formation was very rigid and slow and most Roman victory where own to their habit to keep reserves (highly unusual for the time) and redeploy them at the critical point of battle. The Roman Legio was a formidable tool of wars but in the end it only shined as bright as their commander tactical acumen allowed.
Corey Smithson I agree but thanks to your comment I noticed a disturbing fact. The border in Britain reflects that of the days of 60s - 70s AD not 117 AD it is simply too far south. I live in the UK and that image is painfully inaccurate in that it doesn’t show the correct border in Britannia for the reign of Trajan. Which would have been close to the line of the future Hadrian’s wall, though not as far north as the Antonine wall
@@noger1234 Cretans were experts from the point of view of the Western world but syrian, persian/parthian archers were much better and had better equipment.
@riflemanusa That was in republican times though. During the imperial ages the cavalry was part of auxilia formations and certainly not th nobles club t was before. Also Varus did have scouts though they sadly were under Arminius' command.
Rome - The civilization that would last 1,000 years. I wish I was born when the Roman Empire existed. :( I'm just so intrigued by everything about them.
A little late but technically The Roman Civilization lasted about 2200 years from 753 bc to the fall of Constantinople in 1453 ad and its influence lives on today.
@@slimshady9147 Yeah, but those weren't roman romans. More like...byzantine empire, which were ethnic Greeks, which is a lot more vague, but defianatly not romans, just "wannabes" that lasted longer.
@@aarontoles5988 the byzantine empire was a multi ethnic empire not just greeks. The greek culture and language was used throughout that empire but it wasn´t fully greek.
One battle which showed Roman tactics and weapons was Watling Street in the English Midlands, were 10 thousand Romans decisively defeated Boudicca’s army of around 100 thousand, and crushed the last serious uprising of Rome’s rule over Britain.
25 years was most of their lives. Only the pampered and wealthy, or the truly toughest badasses would make it. Doubt they had to give out that many houses.
Just one slight thing with the encampments: The berms were not a thing, not mostly anyway. The Romans built hollow walls, and filled them with the dirt they dug up from making the trench. This ensured the walls themselves were a solid mass, as well as ensuring the dirt wouldn't collapse one way or the other. It also prevented the enemy from just burning the walls down.
All eight pangolin species are protected under national and international laws, and two are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
You forget the main thing... Besides discipline and training -Every Roman soldier had education. -Roman Generals were genius -Superb Logistics even in those days -They were excellent engineers.( they can set up Wooden castles with traps in very short time)
My son and I were talking about this about a month ago. I tried to explain to him how hard life probably was back in the Roman days. He said that today's men were stronger than back then. I said only on a certain level. But over all we have gotten to spoiled and depend on or weapons than hand to hand combat. Could you even imagine to leave your family for 16 or 25yrs? I know I was happy to be out in 10. But I was still able to have a family. Back them I don't think it could've been possible.
Jason Webb But they didn’t really have a family (wife and kids). And their parents would’ve likely already died due to the insane number of diseases and ways you could die back then.
@@iniesta8856 I was going to say something but it's just to long to talk about. I'll just say this. We might never know the whole truth. History is written by the winners of war and not the people that lost. I wanted to further my education into history but went on to get my PhD in Astrophysics. I wished for so many years that I could read the truth about Troy and find out if it was real and if so, was Helena the real reason they went to war against the Trojans? Greek and the Roman empire were such a huge part of my history that I would want to know how much was truth and how much was just made up. I can believe that wars were everywhere and in everyday life. It is a great subect and something that we may never know all of. Have a great holiday season and take care.
@@iniesta8856 If you're referring to average life span being 30 something years that's because of extremely high child mortality rates, if you lived past your childhood you were extremely likely to live to 60+, life expectancy from the ancient world and onwards for adults was only slightly lower than the modern era.
Miles But it was also a high likelihood that the mother died upon birthing a child and, as stated earlier, the numerous diseases, famines, and bloodshed back then would’ve had a decent chance at killing the father.
When you think about Rome, and really understand the small gaps of information we have today even just about their society. It makes one think that a society like that, wasn't one of a mindset like "we are the first to ever do this." In other words it seems to me that there were precursor civilizations that were to some extent as advanced that we just don't know of. Perhaps the Roman's did though, the library of Alexandria had information we will perhaps never recover. (I don't believe ceaser burned it down either at least purposefully) It's similar to history, herodotus was the first guy in the Mediterranean to think "oh yeah I should write this down just in case." That doesn't necessarily mean history was invented for the first time on this planet on that day. Think about carthidge a society that existed at the same time as the Romans, and yet one we know so little about. Why? One word, war. History is written by the victor. Think about how many societies came, and went without anyone today knowing they ever existed? Now think how many of those were actually quite advanced for their time. I'm not saying someone two thousand years ago had an iPhone, but I'm sure certain things have been invented, and re-invented a multitude of times over the course of our species existence. Our memory is short, and we do things everday to stunt that already inept mechanism. That goes for an individual all the way to our collective memory as a species so to speak. It seems crazy, but so many things we take as fact seemed crazy to someone at some point in time. Why is it easier for people to say "aliens made stone henge" instead of "there was a precursor society that was capable of constructing something far more advanced that what we would deem do able in that period of time"
@@Silver-xd1ge Rome characterizes a processional volunteer army. Spartans made being a soldier the definition of male citizenship, for women, producing healthy men and more women to do the same was the essence of their citizenship.
@@Silver-xd1ge They were disciplined, well trained, and brave but very tactically inflexible. That's why they got beat by Thebes. In equal numbers at their heights a Roman legion would have destroyed a Spartan phalanx.
Rome had a standardized semi-volunteer army which meant if war broke out with the Parthians for example the legions stationed in Gaul could respond and not have issues working together with the local Anatolian and African Legions. Sparta couldn't achieve that in their wildest dreams, they were warriors from birth could probably beat anyone in a 1v1 fight but their way of life restricted their resources and would have a hard time against Rome calling in just it's defense forces from the local region, and no chance against full deployment. They got beaten by Rome even 200 years before Caesar's time, that's enough of proof of that.
@@Silver-xd1ge Obviously, you don't know the real reason. The phalanx simply didn't stand a chance against the Roman Pilum. The Romans were also the first to defeat the phalanx. The reason was quite simply military technology. The pilum makes a hit shield completely unusable. And as you probably know, the shield is the foundation of the phalanx.
Love the Roman era, it's quite interesting to see and learn from it. If anyone haven't read (or listened to) Simon Scarrows 'Eagle of the Empire' serie. I highly recommend it! Simon Scarrows even recommend other authors throughout the serie, that I also recommend 😊 It is a historical military fiction that you get to follow two legionnaires through amazing battles and intrigue. It's a fiction tho I think Simon really capture the gritty reality those people lived in. If you read it or perhaps going to read it after this go ahead and comment. I would love to see how and what people think about this serie.
@@lordscrubugus9897, two weeks later in Parthia : BRAKING NEWS! BRAKING NEWS! Roman republic collapsed after being rampaged by two gauls, emperor Augustus signed non-fat treaty with one of the gauls, safekeeping the empire.
I love Ancient Rome and I am the biggest fan of the Roman army. I sometimes do walks that are very close to the twenty miles that the Roman soldiers have to march. If I were to be a Roman legionnaire, then I will
Haha metatrons channel is great. He already has debunked some. Not all Romans were short obviously for simple reasons like genetic homogeneity was diverse as conquered tribes had volunteers join the Roman army. Although people were not as tall and avg height shorter they still had plenty of big dudes. Video gives impression that romans were bread to a specific size 😂
Different legions did have different height requirements though as they would recruit locally. Different regions would have different genetics, to a degree, so the base height for a legion from Italy might be 5'5" but one from Spain might be 5'8"
Very cool! I would like to hear more about what it took to become legionnaire or auxiliary, especially if there were any local rites, challenges or deeds required to prove oneself?
Roman legionaries didn't use testudo formation while in close combat. Instead, they used formations that allowed gaps so that the legionnaires could actually fight. Also, they didn't use a single strategy to win battles. The combined arms strategies depended on the situation and the commander.
"Yet at Rome's borders lurked hoards of barbarians with an ever-hungry eye toward Rome's riches." Don't you mean hoards of barbarians who were striking back at an empire that was repeatedly trying to invade them?
@Alshamari Baha2 My understanding is that they stopped their expansion toward Germany because multiple attempts to invade failed. It seems to me that if Rome tried to invade you several times, then gives up but occupies land right up against your border, one might feel like there's a an ever-present threat at the door.
The situation changed so much over time you really should explain the Marian and Augustan reforms. Just 20 seconds. It would put you comments in context.
Well, my family comes from Sicily, a province of the former SPQR...I’m above 6 feet in height so most likely, if I was born 1600-2000 years ago where my ancestors lived...that was most likely my only job opportunity...
interestingly, the soldiers of Rome were actually outfitted with equipment made of low carbon steel, not iron. the ability to make steel had been around a short while before the start of the roman empire, it just couldn't be produced in as large a quantity as it can be today
You know an ancient era army is effective when you realize your soldiers win more than they die so they have to increase the retirement age
Facts, in most ancient armies, surviving two battles made you a general.
Iniesta 8 that’s sounds like BS
Акежан Толеухан actually while I think it’s an exaggeration, it wouldn’t surprise me. Due to lack of quick communication, generals would have to be in the thick of it to direct the troops, which would mean a higher general casualty.
@@bogustoast22none25 Actually, roman generals WEREN'T in the thick of things, something that greeks in the time of Philip V thought was cowardly. This proved advantageous to the romans, for example in the Battle of Cynoscephalae this allowed them to outmanouvre the seemingly invincible phalanx. Also, casualties in ancient battles actually were quite low, especially for the Victors (for example, Alexander lost about 1 000 killed out of an ary of close to 50 000 at the Hydaspes, which is considered his bloodiest battle). Annihilations like the one at Cannae were the exception, not the norm.
Акежан Толеухан I was exaggerating to prove the point better but in reality, it’s not that far off.
Imagine living as a legionaire at the height of Romes prosperity. On campaigns for 12 years living and experiencing every extreme and inbetween that the world throws at you. Discipline, hardships, fear, pain, power, tragedy, victory and glory. That is truly living on a level we cant know. Centurions and legionaires did that and even survived it all. Their mental and physical strength was probably intoxicating at times.
Revolting Revolver66 I mean idk man that just seems a little bit pessimistic
They weren't alone in such endeavours. It was just their time. Like all other empires. Sooner or later, things change. Mismanagement by Rulers, Governments, Moral Changes, etc.
@Revolting Revolver66 i think we need another world war to get us back on our feet
Imagine the craziness it was being the first Roman legions venturing out in to Gaul and Germania. Your comrades venturing into unknown dense, dark, foggy forests, coming across various creatures and bizarre relics of an unknown people. Scouts encounter mysterious people with long hair and painted faces. Crazy
@@amandag.6186 Another world war? Who will that benefit exactly? Trudging through a world engulfed with nuclear winter, ha, yer, that will get us 'back on our feet'. I bet you will change that tune when they slap a helmet on you, give you a rifle, then order you to run into the enemy fire.
"In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons" - Herodotus
Rome: Still flexes on all of Europe, like, 2000 years later
Europe: old and respected flex yes sir.
2000 years lol
Scotland: Hold my beer!!!
@@D1str1ct no u
@@philliptandberg4336 Why? It's true. Actually according to their own calendar 2100 years if we count the eastern roman empire as "roman".
Roman's army strength was their organization, discipline, and battle tactics.
toneman335 and engineering
toneman335 and Hannibal walked all over them
Joaquin546 Lost the battle, won the war and burned Carthage to the ground. Also, Hannibal was a tactical genius.
Carl Haeggman yes but not strategic
@@Joaquin546 Scipio Africanus wants to know your location.
Roman Legionnaire: Walks for 5 hours with a 45 pounds of equipment every morning.
Deontay Wilder: Impossibile.
Great comment man
Don't share this video to the Karens. They'll spread more misinformation by calling this video a fake.
20 romman miles is 29.6352 km
I just realized Rome influenced so much of modern society, whether European, Middle East, Asian or what not. Proof that Rome has not died. Rome does not die. For Rome.
Rome is Eternal.
the entire european roads still uses the roman roads as they main model. The frase "all roads leads to Rome" is true until this day
My name is maximus
badfoody I believe “Roma Aeterna” is the Latin
Rome is an idea, a shining white marble city on a hill a beacon of civilization in a swamp of chaos. Ideas never die but they slowly fade into the obscurity of the swamp until another takes their place in the hearts of men.
@@evertonbarbosa7862 xD
the centurion's helmet is one of the best looking pieces of armor in all of humanity's history
Extremely true
My love of Rome started with Rome: total war back in 2008-2009, and now I find myself reading Edward Gibbon’s “the decline and fall of the Roman Empire” and learning Latin..
You should read about alexander severus, and stilicho, or majoran
Leave Gibbon's stuff, as others said read Stilicho, Severus, Seneca, Caesar etc etc or Italian books on Roma (most historically accurate ones).
Try "The Cicero Trilogy" It's fantastic. You will love it.
I love the Romans ever since I was a child.
Rome is Eternal
@@blankblank5409Hello Gaius Julius Caesar
@@blankblank5409 we salute you, Caesar
@@blankblank5409 so what are your thoughts on my empire? We should go to war
@@genghiskhan5848 yeah your the only reason the mongol empire ever happened then after your death look at what happened
It's all fun and games until Asterix drinks the magic potion.
it was all fun and games in Rome until they played with your Asterix *
asterix only exist in your child imagination
Gets nostalgic in Italian*
@Abu Troll al cockroachistan Romans quickly adapted . They actually captured ctesiphon 5 times and gave it back as generous gift . Rome even had once controlled Mesopotamia, the parthian port in Indian Ocean. Parthians never even came close to rome or even Europe for that matter ..
You're really gone down the aqueduct when Obelix drinks some
The practice equipment they trained with was twice as heavy as what they wore into battle. This was specifically done to make the legionnaires stronger, faster and increase their endurance
walking 40+ kms, let alone in 5 hours, let alone an everyday fitness exercise, these guys were crazy fit
How grandparrents walked to school
@@fightingtothepoint4u732 going up hill both ways
Their cavalry also has to train when the legion marches.
Its 8km / H
That's running a marathon every day while carrying a child on your shoulders
During times of war, the death penalty is still on the table for a sleeping sentry
Yep. The primary reason being that you can't prove whether a guard was incompetent or bribed to let the enemy in. And the punishment for treason has always been death
Makes sense though
As it should be
Asterix is nothing but Barbarian Propaganda.
Legionnaires get out of my Germania REEEEE!
The Roman propaganda against the gauls is actually huge. The Romans genocided the gauls, this is a very unknown subject
They just made some space to live for Romans
This Roman is crazy!!
@neldot nah bro , youtube people don't need your constructive and objective reply
italians then: violence means prosperity
italians now: eyy piza
Wow the prejudices...
@@hazed_23 it's a joke
@@krulak292 definitely not funny.
@@hazed_23 and why should I care what YOU find funny? It's funny to some, not for others
@@krulak292 you think it's funny ? As if we are clowns ? We make you laugh?
It’s all fun and games until the alps start speaking elephant
It's all fun a games until Teutoburg forest starts speaking German
Legions (Not responding)
Its all fun and games until the rome starts speaking gothic.
It’s all fun and games until the trees start playing fortunate son
@@datoldmeme2387 wait a second......the trees....playing fortunate son?
Bread and vegetables? Roman soldiers ate a lot of pig meat in Castella and castra, and beef (with small percentages of fish and birds like ducks) on outposts and watchtower. Also the body length of Roman soldiers was in fact variable, as archeological evidence reveals one soldier found was over 2 meters tall and others 1,80 m or 1,70 m tall.
The question about soldiers being able to be married differs in time. Some periodes it was legal, other times it was not.
Still, a nice video as an introduction to the Roman army, but not all mentioned is correct.
Yeah, not to mention the white building at 10:50 , which the citizens of Rome actually despise. It was the tomb of the first Italian king and is built in the late 1800s. It has nothing to do with the Romans, although many old-Roman buildings have been destroyed to create this tomb.
"Primarily"
“Primarily”
In fact at certain periods they ate even better than most todays soldiers, they were well fed and thats why they had strength to exercise all time along and get stronger not weaker!
@@sheikranl3949 exactly, that's the Vittoriano, is also the place where lies the Unknown Soldier. Is an important and sacred monument in Italy.
More Ancient Rome. Compare how rich crassus was to modern billionaires
:0 why hello there
He died a horrible death in search of glory.
@@Jeevesaurus but not in searching for gold 😆😆😆😆😆😆
Modern rich billionaire worth 100 billions -200 billions
Crasus 200 million usd which would be 20 billion worth in 2020
@@kevinpeterwareham8131 Parthian rip Crassus army 🤣🤣
Jesus' Apostle, Paul's father was a retired Roman soldier from Tarsus, Paul's citizenship is why he was able to appeal his charges to Caesar, get transported to Rome for trial, and not get as harsh the treatment other early Christians did. That is what makes his story an interesting comparison to others
Interesting work of fiction
Uh. You do know Paul's account is fairly recent and well documented externally
@@jaredwarner8070 I looked up some scholarly articles based on what you were saying, and you're right. I learned something new. Thanks
@@marioluigi3801 what is that?
@@thegodfather_8455 Just stuff I read in the bible about Paul
“The romans were generally cautious.”
Laughs in Crassus
Crassus:tries
Pompey and Ceaser: what a joke
Do you know what generally means?
Spartan Total Warrior?
you cant plan for everything. Even the spartans were caught in flat footed
Parthia: *exists*
Crassus: *It's free real estate*
The Roman army had a great retirement plan...if you lived long enough!
Most often did
About 60% of legionnaire work was guarding cities and regions inside the empire acting as something like a police for so legionnare work was long but rewarding
depends if it was war time or not. And they did have a lot of war time. Many their Armies and Legions got obliterated. Last thing those men enjoyed was a retirement. At best they got a quick death.
Infographics: the turtle formation was nearly unbreakable
Me: GO FOR THE LEGS!!!
@Niko Umicevic If you go for legs, soldiers will crouch, and make whole formation truly unbreakable.
when the enemy is packed agianst the testudo it is probably very hard to move around as you're crowded around with other people
Put going for the legs is still better than attacking the shield, also if they go on their knees then that hinders mobility
@@bretonwayde6934 its going to be hard to crouch down and hit the enemies legs when you have a bunch of other people pushing you and swinging their weapons
Not if you make a battle plan
*_wow, this is the first time I hear The Infographics Show talk about Rome, im glad!!!!!_* 🏛
And also the colosseum
So enjoy those too
Well he did mentionned the fall of Constantinople, the dark ages, etc
In England, we are reminded almost daily about Rome when we use our roads and parents often tell their children that it was Rome who revolutionised our country and road system. I took my children and wife (an American) to Greece last summer, this summer in thinking Rome, Italy. The history is fascinating.
@Free Spirited Cat We are reminded of Rome and Greece almost daily. It's in everything, from the roads as mentioned to our laws and our own democracy. Boudicca fought against the Romans, but for what? She was fighting against progress.
The true power behind Rome was their logistical expertise, their ability to transmit and receive information, the roads that allowed for their armies and citizens to travel freely very quickly.
It’s often the simplest things that lead to dominance in a culture or civilization, Rome was built on its roads.
We see the same thing with the current political, military, and economic dominance with the US’s logistical expertise, their military is so dominant because they have the capacity, to feed, fuel, transport and house their entire military even under siege and at the frontline in war extraordinarily quickly and efficiently.
The US was technologically inferior to the Germans in WW2, yet German POWs remarked on how even under siege the American soldiers had fresh food being delivered to the frontlines under fire while the German soldiers were rationing what little they had left despite being superior in firepower, skill and technology and knew they stood no chance of winning.
It is often stated by soldiers who have survived combat against the US, that they rarely remember seeing the soldiers fighting and instead remember constant bombardment and artillery and that by the time soldiers came into view they were already defeated
Actually you are completely in the wrong on that third paragraph in using WW2 examples of the USA and Germany. The U.S. always had better guns and rationing, unless you talk about tanks which the Germans excelled in, but everything else was Allied dominated. The germans relied on the very logistics and tactics you praise, and for the entire war were behind in technology, they were organized and united unlike their allies in Italy and Japan who were disorganized and just threw bodies at people. Rome was not built on its roads Rome was built on its culture which defined how it would evolve.
@@FoeReaper "Rome was built on its culture which defined how it would evolve" and also their downfall because the late romans forgot what made them great in the first place, and other reasons
@@yoruichixx6951 How does forgetting what made you great become your downfall? A failed attempt at trying to sound literate.
@@FoeReaper because there are roman quotes from you know romans ? for example? who said that
and if you study late rome its quite obvious
@Hoàng Nguyên It's that Jungle warfare, where there are no frontlines
I actually dont remember being forced to stay celibate. I got married when deployed on tour in Alesia with a local pleb girl and no one gave a sesterci.
They weren't expected to be celibate. The Legion even provided prostitutes to the men on occasion and some auxiliaries were actually paid in visits to brothels.
It's just that they couldn't get married because the responsibilities of men with families often takes their mind off of military duty.
Imagine living in a country where you can freely travel from England to Iraq using one language and currency.
Talking of pax romana...
Just go to US
Even today, Rome continues to awe and influence us. Not that I'm complaining.
The Roman Engineers were amazing, and often in the military.
Spartans: we are the most feared soldiers of all time
legionnaires: hold my spear.
Hasta* or more iconic Pilum*.
Legionaries:try me
kingley45 if we did same sized forced, I give it to the Spartans, purely for the fact they’re trained from birth to fight, but the Romans are more heavily armored.
If we didnt do same sized forces, then romans. They can gather several legions compared to Spartans who at max could have 10,000 at their highest peak.
@@izhypnotic-7838 spartans were also heavily armed you don't actually think they wore metal diapers like in 300 do you?
@@namaske2594 they had the hoplite armour like other Hellenistic states, thats all, don't tell me you imagine a Spartan with same type of armour as a Legionnary or a Medieval Knight
LEGIONARY not “Legionnaire”. Legionnaire’s belong to the French army not the Roman army.
@Sagess Aries exactly
Sagess Aries the documentary is in English. In English LEGIONARY = Soldier in the ancient Roman army. LEGIONNAIRE = Soldier in the modern French Foreign Legion.
True honor was a distinctive trait of Roman as well as Greek soldiers. Not the bullying and the lack of true character you find today.
alex tapia what makes you think that? Were you there, or are you romanticizing you’re perception of what you believe?
Regular legionaire or a greek hoplite was not very honorable if you use todays moral standards, these were absolutely ruthless men
They are not jejemon
I think perhaps you're over romanticizing as someone else stated. While perhaps more reserved than your average tribal combatant, this is Classical Antiquity, Europe was brutal and I'm sure many people had to fit in to that mold in order to survive. Additionally if we're talking about official modern armies, I'd argue they are more than likely far more amicable on average due to the severity of punishment for breaking conventions.. which is only sometimes doled out, but that's a topic for an other time.
You must be really old :-)
Next Up:
Space Force
Tzwac dastag they better have that sick troop drop from space
@@caominhnhat1455 and nathan fillion
@@TheBiddofslayer58 who???
The ancient Romans had a Space Force?
@@mariakelly5 lol
1: greaves were mostly for officers, exclusively.
2: The tortuous formation was for sieges, exclusively.
3: Most Imperial Roman armor was made of steel, not plain iron.
4: in reality, Romans were just angry Italian dads with swords.
😂😂
FACT. Julius Caesar engraved SPQR onto the sewer covers in Rome and its still visible today
What an emperor would do in sewers?
@@janihellsten5247 he was never an emperor, Rome did not even become an empire until 17 years after he died
7:01 wooohh..those visual glitches of pick axes/shovels spazzing out on the ground
Fantastic video!!!! Knowing that one of the greatest and most effectives armies of all time was made of short people was a huuuuge moral boost to me, usually the common mindset towards short individuals in any competitive endeavor is: "oh, you're short?! You're DEAD!"
After knowing all this about them i'm even more curious now! Thank you so much for the video.
I'm a For Honor Centurion main and I find this video incredibilis.
Eeetiam!!11
Reminds me of my Rome Total war days
@BARBATVS 89 Those bronze shield Pikemen were something else!!
The Lorica Segmentata was actually used during a very short period of time and by few troops compared to the Lorica Hamata, which saw widespread service after the Marian reform. This is because the Lorica Segmentata was harder to maintain as it required specialized equipment and skills to repair and maintain. But also because it was probably uncomfortable and more expensive.
my teacher assigned this to me, and i was like "i think i recognize this artwork" then i noticed it was actually you :)
*When the trees start talking German*
Logan Fox but the trees all suddenly remain silent when Germanicus rides along
Roma Invicta
😂
Teutoburgo is so overrated
*But Germanicus appears and they suddenly speak Latin*
1:58
There is a massive mistake there about the height of a Roman conscript. They are usuall tall by average to even be part of a Legio, the most interesring part is that an average legionnaire is required to be above 5.5 feet tall for some Legio and a minority with higher than that height. Shorter Romans are not hired to join the Legio unless if he fits the requirements of Auxilia and Cavalry standards.
Source?
@@Samuelpiang511 come on we all know italians are short
@@henryloep9449 no I really wouldn't. My Italian friends are well above 6 feet. And you really can't over generalize too much without a source. I'm simply asking data for a backup if you're gonna tell a story like a historian unless you are quoting it.
@@Samuelpiang511 Oh hey guys my Italian friends who are probably 50 percent germanic are very tall I wonder why hmmmmm
@@Samuelpiang511 Cries in 5'3 in the middle of italy. I don't know many shorter people than me, but hey. That's life.
It was all fun and games until your flank starts speaking Carthaginian
Carthage got obliterated in the end though.
@@Likeaworm yeah you right
Trumpet: I'm about to end this elephant whole career
@@Likeaworm so did the Romans. Just a matter of which one lasted longer. And in the end one only lasted longer than the other because they were more ruthless and less civilized. But those same traits eventually cost them their entire Empire just the same.
Thank You everything has an end. You gotta outlive your enemies
Thank you for keeping the profane out of this. The Legionnaires were one of Rome's most sacred treasures. The spirit of the Legionnaires lives still to this day and is strong as ever. We are legion. We are many. We are one.
Mate, you really need to get laid.
@@stefanomanganini5142 😂😂💀
Asterix and Obelix: so you have chossen..... *death*
While modern armies is still inspired by some of the Legio organisation, it draws more notoriously of the corps system introduced by Napoleon in his "Grande Armée". It should come as no surprise that Napoleon was a huge fan of one of the most successful roman leader: Julius Caesar.
As for the Testudo formation it was not that often used (and isn't exactly a phalanx) as such tight formation was very rigid and slow and most Roman victory where own to their habit to keep reserves (highly unusual for the time) and redeploy them at the critical point of battle.
The Roman Legio was a formidable tool of wars but in the end it only shined as bright as their commander tactical acumen allowed.
0:45
It's.... so.... beautiful
Yes, Europe looks brilliant with Germany serving as swimming pool.
Corey Smithson I agree but thanks to your comment I noticed a disturbing fact.
The border in Britain reflects that of the days of 60s - 70s AD not 117 AD it is simply too far south.
I live in the UK and that image is painfully inaccurate in that it doesn’t show the correct border in Britannia for the reign of Trajan. Which would have been close to the line of the future Hadrian’s wall, though not as far north as the Antonine wall
Did you forget Roman Slingers bring more common then Roman archers
Ever heard of Cretans?
Abu Troll al cockroachistan oh yes
They whistled threw the air
cretans were expert archers. you sre thinking of rhodians and belearic islanders.
@@noger1234 Cretans were experts from the point of view of the Western world but syrian, persian/parthian archers were much better and had better equipment.
"Making extensive use of scouts"
Laughs in Teutoburg Forest, or any of the dozens of ambushes that Romans just walked into.
@riflemanusa That was in republican times though. During the imperial ages the cavalry was part of auxilia formations and certainly not th nobles club t was before. Also Varus did have scouts though they sadly were under Arminius' command.
@riflemanusa ffs turn off your caplocks Boomer
Yes, similar to the known word they just walked into....and took.
Romans didnt like scouting so much, examples in their wars with Hannibal, but maybe later they learned on own mistakes.
Rome - The civilization that would last 1,000 years. I wish I was born when the Roman Empire existed. :(
I'm just so intrigued by everything about them.
So you've chosen death?
Ikenna Enwelum Everyone has to die at one point, right? Some are just sooner than others.
A little late but technically The Roman Civilization lasted about 2200 years from 753 bc to the fall of Constantinople in 1453 ad and its influence lives on today.
@@slimshady9147 Yeah, but those weren't roman romans. More like...byzantine empire, which were ethnic Greeks, which is a lot more vague, but defianatly not romans, just "wannabes" that lasted longer.
@@aarontoles5988 the byzantine empire was a multi ethnic empire not just greeks. The greek culture and language was used throughout that empire but it wasn´t fully greek.
I’m Italian, average height, love training in military combat, and yes, I missed my calling of being in the Roman Legions
JohnnyJohn116 to bad you weren’t in a Roman legion
It’s a secret cap * I dream about it all the time
@@JohnnyJohn116 me too xd... I would love to fight for Rome
One battle which showed Roman tactics and weapons was Watling Street in the English Midlands, were 10 thousand Romans decisively defeated Boudicca’s army of around 100 thousand, and crushed the last serious uprising of Rome’s rule over Britain.
No one:
*skyrim legionnaire: "citizen"*
I used to be a citizen, and then I put a dunmer on my knee
haha wow funy xd original joke
imagine walking to yo job all day then automatically start building your office when you arrive
Imagine how many soldiers you would have today if they gave you a house for your service
25 years, long commitment.
25 years was most of their lives. Only the pampered and wealthy, or the truly toughest badasses would make it. Doubt they had to give out that many houses.
Just one slight thing with the encampments: The berms were not a thing, not mostly anyway. The Romans built hollow walls, and filled them with the dirt they dug up from making the trench. This ensured the walls themselves were a solid mass, as well as ensuring the dirt wouldn't collapse one way or the other. It also prevented the enemy from just burning the walls down.
The Germ(anic)s usually stormed wooden Roman fortresses by swarming and filling the sticky parts with their bodies
Reported for racism and hate rhetoric for calling Germanics “germs”.
Touchy huh?
O no, you triggered a German.
Keep on going Basil! Greetings, a Germanic Dutchman.
@@bnap3221 You better be kidding
Sam Ludendorff germ
10:53 Nice looking 20th century building in the background!
Hi there random person who is scrolling through the comments
Mincraft User hi
Suh dude
Hay
All eight pangolin species are protected under national and international laws, and two are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Hi you are so wholesome
You forget the main thing...
Besides discipline and training
-Every Roman soldier had education.
-Roman Generals were genius
-Superb Logistics even in those days
-They were excellent engineers.( they can set up Wooden castles with traps in very short time)
Non-romans could be legionaries you had to be a roman citizen meaning you could be from Britannia to Syria to be a legionnaire
thats after emperor claudius(?) granted full citizenship to all people of the empire
before that only italians could become legionaries
@@noger1234 That was granted in 90 B.C.E. for allies of the empire
@@noger1234 It was with Caracalla, nearly two centuries after Claudius
I wonder what ancient Rome's army would've been like if they had discovered gunpowder.
“These Romans Are Crazy!!” *TapTapTapTap*
Awesome video!
the original dark souls.
I think the quality of the infographics’ animation is getting better.
I would of definitely served my time and duty for the glory of Rome.
25 years of service that started when you were about 14-15 and lasted til you were almost 40 in a time where living to 40 was impressive
More like 60
My son and I were talking about this about a month ago. I tried to explain to him how hard life probably was back in the Roman days. He said that today's men were stronger than back then. I said only on a certain level. But over all we have gotten to spoiled and depend on or weapons than hand to hand combat. Could you even imagine to leave your family for 16 or 25yrs? I know I was happy to be out in 10. But I was still able to have a family. Back them I don't think it could've been possible.
Jason Webb But they didn’t really have a family (wife and kids). And their parents would’ve likely already died due to the insane number of diseases and ways you could die back then.
@@iniesta8856 I was going to say something but it's just to long to talk about. I'll just say this. We might never know the whole truth. History is written by the winners of war and not the people that lost. I wanted to further my education into history but went on to get my PhD in Astrophysics. I wished for so many years that I could read the truth about Troy and find out if it was real and if so, was Helena the real reason they went to war against the Trojans? Greek and the Roman empire were such a huge part of my history that I would want to know how much was truth and how much was just made up. I can believe that wars were everywhere and in everyday life. It is a great subect and something that we may never know all of. Have a great holiday season and take care.
@@iniesta8856 If you're referring to average life span being 30 something years that's because of extremely high child mortality rates, if you lived past your childhood you were extremely likely to live to 60+, life expectancy from the ancient world and onwards for adults was only slightly lower than the modern era.
Miles But it was also a high likelihood that the mother died upon birthing a child and, as stated earlier, the numerous diseases, famines, and bloodshed back then would’ve had a decent chance at killing the father.
Explain to him what life was like before antibiotics. That'll probably do the trick. ;-)
Anyone else realize how many videos they upload lately? It’s like three-two videos a day!
When you think about Rome, and really understand the small gaps of information we have today even just about their society. It makes one think that a society like that, wasn't one of a mindset like "we are the first to ever do this." In other words it seems to me that there were precursor civilizations that were to some extent as advanced that we just don't know of. Perhaps the Roman's did though, the library of Alexandria had information we will perhaps never recover. (I don't believe ceaser burned it down either at least purposefully) It's similar to history, herodotus was the first guy in the Mediterranean to think "oh yeah I should write this down just in case." That doesn't necessarily mean history was invented for the first time on this planet on that day. Think about carthidge a society that existed at the same time as the Romans, and yet one we know so little about. Why? One word, war. History is written by the victor. Think about how many societies came, and went without anyone today knowing they ever existed? Now think how many of those were actually quite advanced for their time. I'm not saying someone two thousand years ago had an iPhone, but I'm sure certain things have been invented, and re-invented a multitude of times over the course of our species existence. Our memory is short, and we do things everday to stunt that already inept mechanism. That goes for an individual all the way to our collective memory as a species so to speak. It seems crazy, but so many things we take as fact seemed crazy to someone at some point in time. Why is it easier for people to say "aliens made stone henge" instead of "there was a precursor society that was capable of constructing something far more advanced that what we would deem do able in that period of time"
I like this
@@westonhory2102 Thanks! Hope it made yah stop and think! :)
0:43 "brought stability and safety to millions of people" not sure about that one chief.
Spartan: Am I a joke to you?
Owari Da Spartans where better soldiers, there just weren’t enough of them
@@Silver-xd1ge Rome characterizes a processional volunteer army. Spartans made being a soldier the definition of male citizenship, for women, producing healthy men and more women to do the same was the essence of their citizenship.
@@Silver-xd1ge They were disciplined, well trained, and brave but very tactically inflexible. That's why they got beat by Thebes. In equal numbers at their heights a Roman legion would have destroyed a Spartan phalanx.
Rome had a standardized semi-volunteer army which meant if war broke out with the Parthians for example the legions stationed in Gaul could respond and not have issues working together with the local Anatolian and African Legions. Sparta couldn't achieve that in their wildest dreams, they were warriors from birth could probably beat anyone in a 1v1 fight but their way of life restricted their resources and would have a hard time against Rome calling in just it's defense forces from the local region, and no chance against full deployment. They got beaten by Rome even 200 years before Caesar's time, that's enough of proof of that.
@@Silver-xd1ge Obviously, you don't know the real reason. The phalanx simply didn't stand a chance against the Roman Pilum. The Romans were also the first to defeat the phalanx. The reason was quite simply military technology. The pilum makes a hit shield completely unusable. And as you probably know, the shield is the foundation of the phalanx.
Nicely informative video
Love the Roman era, it's quite interesting to see and learn from it.
If anyone haven't read (or listened to) Simon Scarrows 'Eagle of the Empire' serie. I highly recommend it! Simon Scarrows even recommend other authors throughout the serie, that I also recommend 😊
It is a historical military fiction that you get to follow two legionnaires through amazing battles and intrigue.
It's a fiction tho I think Simon really capture the gritty reality those people lived in.
If you read it or perhaps going to read it after this go ahead and comment. I would love to see how and what people think about this serie.
Infographics need to do more ancient roman based content
Asterix and Obelix want to know their location
Everybody gangsta until someone tells Obelix he's fat.
@@lordscrubugus9897, two weeks later in Parthia : BRAKING NEWS! BRAKING NEWS! Roman republic collapsed after being rampaged by two gauls, emperor Augustus signed non-fat treaty with one of the gauls, safekeeping the empire.
I love Ancient Rome and I am the biggest fan of the Roman army. I sometimes do walks that are very close to the twenty miles that the Roman soldiers have to march. If I were to be a Roman legionnaire, then I will
You have made a big improvement in your animations!!!😁
Very interesting and well put together video.
Most modern militaries are actually modeled after Napoleon’s Grand Arme
plenty of inaccuracies here
And who you think that napoelon was inspired?
Great vid
Spartans: Am I a joke to you?
3:40 heads be like: aight im gonna head out
Who else is waiting for the Metatron to debunk this?
Haha metatrons channel is great. He already has debunked some. Not all Romans were short obviously for simple reasons like genetic homogeneity was diverse as conquered tribes had volunteers join the Roman army. Although people were not as tall and avg height shorter they still had plenty of big dudes. Video gives impression that romans were bread to a specific size 😂
@@charris5700 Shut up you fake history buff.
@@FoeReaper Okay please don't hurt me tough guy 😂
Different legions did have different height requirements though as they would recruit locally. Different regions would have different genetics, to a degree, so the base height for a legion from Italy might be 5'5" but one from Spain might be 5'8"
Very cool! I would like to hear more about what it took to become legionnaire or auxiliary, especially if there were any local rites, challenges or deeds required to prove oneself?
i would be proud to be the general
I would be proud to be the emperor
@@bnap3221 at the assassination rates what century would you wanna be an emperor in
Roman legionaries didn't use testudo formation while in close combat. Instead, they used formations that allowed gaps so that the legionnaires could actually fight. Also, they didn't use a single strategy to win battles. The combined arms strategies depended on the situation and the commander.
I think they're more likely to be called legionary rather than legionnaire
That's just my opinion though
Romans are the best! Do more videos on the Romans.
"Yet at Rome's borders lurked hoards of barbarians with an ever-hungry eye toward Rome's riches."
Don't you mean hoards of barbarians who were striking back at an empire that was repeatedly trying to invade them?
Trying? More like succeeding! Well..... right up until they weren't anyway 😅
@Alshamari Baha2 My understanding is that they stopped their expansion toward Germany because multiple attempts to invade failed. It seems to me that if Rome tried to invade you several times, then gives up but occupies land right up against your border, one might feel like there's a an ever-present threat at the door.
The situation changed so much over time you really should explain the Marian and Augustan reforms. Just 20 seconds. It would put you comments in context.
"Had to be a citizen" *cries in marian reforms*
I guess they didn't read past the manipular legions on Wikipedia
@@sandyhall8456 well said
Rome was really ahead of its time with military tactics and structure
Ave, Imperator!
25 years is not like 25 year today, especially when life expectancy of a solider was much shorter compared to the soldiers of today
Well, my family comes from Sicily, a province of the former SPQR...I’m above 6 feet in height so most likely, if I was born 1600-2000 years ago where my ancestors lived...that was most likely my only job opportunity...
Olympians: were the best in shape
roman legionnaire: allow me to interduce myself
Sounds like fallout new Vegas Cesar legion
Hmm i wonder why
@@lemoncardboard4877 lol
Lemon Cardboard Degenerates like you belong on the cross! 😂😂😂
@@pricelessppp 😂😂 dude I *wish*
@@lemoncardboard4877 hmmmmmmmmm🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
interestingly, the soldiers of Rome were actually outfitted with equipment made of low carbon steel, not iron. the ability to make steel had been around a short while before the start of the roman empire, it just couldn't be produced in as large a quantity as it can be today