For example, Julius Caesar raised the legio V Alaudae from the native Gauls and later naturalized their citizenship. This law-bending scope was a practical outcome of the civil wars that plagued the Roman realm during the end of the Republic era.
#Roma invicta est free
Roman Citizenship Was Not A Requirement (But Free Birth Was)Ĭontrary to our popular notions, a Roman legionary was not always a Roman citizen (though he was supposed to be, at least ‘in papers’). Suffice it to say, the perceived ‘immoral’ recruits (like thieves and such) were weeded out and banished from the army. And since we brought up the ‘character’ profile of a legionary, after being selected for the army, the young man (usually in his late teens or early twenties) had to go through a period called probation.ĭuring this time, both his character and medical condition were heavily scrutinized by enlisting officers. In some cases, the romanticizing of country life was stretched to such a degree that even mutinies in the army were squarely blamed on ‘soft’ city-bred recruits (as was done by Tacitus). They are nurtured under the open sky in a life of work, enduring the sun, careless of shade, unacquainted with bathhouses, simple-souled, content with a little, with limbs toughened to endure every kind of toil, and for whom wielding iron, digging a ditch, and carrying a burden is what they are used to from the country. As Vegetius said (in his Epitoma Rei Militaris treatise), sourced from the Roman Legionary 58 BC-AD 69 by Ross Cowan. Moreover, they were also considered to be more dependable with their simplistic character, given their (presumed) unfamiliarity with the sleazy side of urban life. This tendency to ‘make up’ credentials had the Roman style of reasoning – since the rural folks were considered to be hardier with higher levels of endurance. However, in spite of such claims, the vast majority of the legionaries came from a rural background.Īs a result, their city-based origo credentials were often fabricated during the time of enlistment, usually by the officials themselves. And interestingly enough, as historian Ross Cowan noted, each legionary had to claim his origo (origin) from a city or at least a town. In a generalized scope, all Roman men aging between 17 and 46 were liable for military service – though, the peak age for enlistment tended to be skewed towards the early 20’s age group. Tactics Against Cavalry The Roman Legionary: From Circa 1st Century BC – 1st Century AD Rural Folks Were Preferred In The Legions.The Specialized ‘Elite’ Light Infantrymen.The Canabae Settlements of the Roman Empire.The Impracticality of ‘Full’ Fighting Legions.
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