by T. Scott Randolph

Created on: July 16, 2009   Last Updated: March 27, 2010

Without any doubt the Roman army was a force to be reckoned with. It conquered what is saw. There were of course setbacks, but like modern times, those setbacks could be linked back to Rome and not the army commanders and soldiers. The were well trained, self sustaining and ferociously loyal to their commander. Since campaigns were often many years, many soldiers may have never even seen Rome. They were loyal to their general, and would fight to the death on his command.

If we look deeper though there were other issues that the army did that made it the juggernaut that we know it as. One of the key points, is that they learned from their enemies. If a system worked, then they would adapt and fold it into the Roman system. When they overtook new lands, they would take prisoners. If these men had potential, then they could join the army. It was a long hitch. Depending on your source it could be between 20 and 25 years. Here is the key though. They would be sent to the farthest reaches of the Empire. After they had served their 2+ decades in a strange land with their comrades in arms, not only could they earn citizenship, but their original homeland would only be a distant memory. They would have more than likely found a wife (although officially the common soldier wasn't allowed to marry) and a new life. This not only took the new recruits out of their home and comfortable surroundings (which could lead to a revolt) but it would add to the total dedication to their new Roman brothers.

When they were this far from home, it reduced the chances of uprising since the Romans would take the biggest and strongest. Far away from home, all they would know was the Roman way. In this way when their hitch was up home was just a distant memory. Many times they would settle in the lands of which they had helped conquer. This in itself made the Empire more cohesive.

The following is a little bad news for the cheerleaders of Rome. Their concept of fighting in a group, and covering each other during an attack, wasn't invented by the Romans. They picked it up when they were fighting the Greeks. Many Greek city states (especially the Spartans) had been using the concept for hundreds of years. You protect the man on your left or right and he protects you. The Romans just made this a little better and their (in English) turtle formation, made them impregnable to archer attack. Unlike many of the so called barbarian tribes that they fought, the Romans fought as a unit. You didn't

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