Roman Empire

The Territory of the Roman Empire at its Height under Emperor Trajan

The Roman Empire (Imperium Romanum) was a civilization which ruled over much of Western Eurasia ruled from the Italian City of Roma. Technically the Roman Empire existed from 27BCE to 476CE (1453 if you include the subsequent Byzantine Empire), although the term also is used to informally refer to the preceeding Roman Republic, which existed for some 500 years previously. The Roman Empire was for its time highly advanced and developed; after its collapse, European civilization fell back for centuries technologically.

The Roman Military

A reenactor dressed as an Imperial Legionary

The Roman military varied from period to period, as the Romans adjusted their forces and adopted new technologies and strategies. The first Roman armies were armed and fought in a manner similar to that of Greek Hoplites armed with spears, although this gradually gave way to swordsmen. In this early period most Roman soldiers were of a certain class able to afford weapons, armor, and food on campaign. The most notable development of the Roman military was the reforms of Gaius Marius, who professionalized the Roman army into a standing force.

Roman forces after the Marian Reforms were divided into two forces:

• Legions: Recruited from the citizen classes, Legionaries were heavy infantry armed with rectangular shields, swords (Gladius), and javelins (Pilum). Each Legion had at maximum strength 5,200 soldiers.
• Auxiliaries: Auxiliaries consisted of non-citizen troops recruited from provinces. Often these would fill in gaps that Legionaries did not, such as archers and cavalry.

The Roman Empire in Debates

The Roman Empire comes up quite often in fantasy debates.