Roman army

Ancient imperial military

The Roman army was the military force of ancient Rome, evolving from a citizen militia into a professional standing army that conquered and held territory across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Its organizational innovations—the legion divided into cohorts and centuries, standardized equipment, engineering capabilities, and disciplined formations—made it the dominant military power of the ancient world for centuries.

The Roman army built roads and fortifications across the empire.

Related

soldier · Trajan's Column · pilum · gladius · testudo · tribune · scutum · military engineering · decimation · battle formations · sword and shield · sandals · military camp · march · Julius Caesar · helmet · eagle · camp

Categories
Opposites
civilizational/organizational status

Roman armyGermanic tribes

Ancient northern European peoples

geopolitical rivalry

Roman armyNumidian cavalry

Ancient North African light horse

military identity

Roman armyresistance fighters

Armed opponents of occupation

Family

army, Romanization, Romanize, Roman, Romans, centurion, Romanesque

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G