Tactics (ROMAN)

Section 2- Equipment and Tactics

how would Roman battles start

both armies would advance at each other and when close enough, the Roman legionaries would throw their pilum (spears) at the enemy

what formation and quarters did the Romans fight in

close quarters and a loose formation

what is loose formation

would fight near one another but not in strict formation like the greeks

why was it important for the Romans to all be able to protect himself from all angles

they would not only be engaging with the enemy frontally and didn’t have people protecting them either side

what was the primary weapon of the legionaire

gladius

what was the curved scutum used for

to defend the soldier from attacks from a wide range of angles and to punch their enemies and throw them off balance

what was a tight formation that the Romans used

testudo formation (tortoise)

was the testudo offensive or defensive

defensive

what did the testudo formation involve

soldiers would lock their shields together to form a wall against projectiles

what would the Romans do in this formation

would move towards the enemy so they could fight at close quarters

what was another way that the testudo and shields were used

could form a ramp, helping soldiers climb to the top of an enemy wall

differences in spears between the Greeks and Romans

• Greek= longer and used for stabbing

• Roman= shorter and thrown

differences in shields between the Greeks and the Romans

• Greek= round, shield wall in phalanx, self and neighbour

• rectangular and curved, protects just self, from all angles, sometimes used for testudo

differences between armour for the Greeks and Romans

• Greek:

  • one piece cuirass; inflexible

  • one piece helmet; heavy and obscures vision

  • greaves

• Roman:

  • segmented cuirass; flexible

  • segmented helmet; lighter and doesn’t obscure vision

  • no greaves

differences in use of swords for Greeks and Romans

• Greek= backup weapon

• Roman= primary weapon, mostly stabbing

differences in formations used by Greeks and Romans

• Greek= phalanx

• Roman= loose formation

what is siege warfare

getting inside a walled city to fight and take it over

what were the three tactics of siege warfare

• surround and starve

• over the walls

• through the walls

what did surround and starve involve

surrounding the fortification, stopping anyone from getting in or out

what would happen to the enemy during surround and starve

would run out of food/water and so would be forced to surrender

if the Romans were to fight after surround and starve, why would they have an advantage

less and weaker enemy troops to fight due to lack of food

stages of surround and starve

• block gates

• burn farms

• no food and no one can leave the city to get food so supplies run out and the city starves

• also more disease as people close inside the city together

why is surround and starve a good tactic

• romans lose no troops doing this but still win

• takes over an undamaged city so more use to Romans; can use the city and its farms if not on fire

• can be used before the other two tactics below to aid in victory but taking less time

why is surround and starve a bad tactic

takes a long time to do

what did over the walls involve

using a siege tower with a ladder to allow the soldiers to climb over the fortification’s wall, allowing them inside the city to attack

what was a siege tower

a wooden structure enclosing a ladder, on wheels

why was the siege tower being on wheels a good thing

means it can easily be moved with less effort

what would protect the soldiers climbing up the siege tower at the top

archers

why was it important for siege tower to have walls

• if people from the city attacking them from above, means they can’t defend themselves while climbing so the walls protect them instead

• enemy cannot push down the ladder

• can have an archer at the top to protect those coming up

when was over the walls used

if the Romans in a rush or surround and starve taking too long

disadvantages of over the wall

• takes long time to build

• expensive to build

• lots of supplies (wood) needed

• heavy so lots needed to push it

• wood so can be set on fire by enemies

what happened during through the walls

walls and gets broken with a battering ram, allowing the Romans inside

what would the Romans do once the wall fell

Roman infantrymen would enter the city and fight hand to hand

what were battering rams made of

wood and metals, rolled on wheels

why was the metal on the battering ram only at the front

• metal stronger so better at breaking down the wall, and so would be at front

• too heavy and expensive to make the whole ram out of metal

why was the ram on wheels

so its easy to move and soldiers don’t have to hold it as its very heavy and draining to carry

where along the boundary to the city would the Romans use the ram

gate as this was weakest

disadvantages of through the walls

• expensive

• long to make

• materials needed

what is artillery

large-scale devices for firing projectiles

artillery used by the romans

• ballista/catapulta

• onager

what is a ballista/catapulta

like a crossbow; fired blots with high accuracy

what is an onager

single swinging arm, used for flinging rocks at enemy; like a giant slingshot

what was artillery used for

to take out archers on wall

disadvantages of artillery

• all needs to be built there as too heavy to bring, which takes time

• expensive

• needs lots of materials

who built the artillery equipment

legionaries

what skills would all legionaries need

• carpentry

• engineering

• much more

infantry tactics used by Greece

phalanx

infantry tactics used by Rome

• throwing spears at start of battle

• fighting in loose formation with gladius and scutum

• testudo

• siege warfare

strengths of phalanx

• wall of spears at front

• shields closely packed together

• soldiers behind could quickly replace the fallen

• first two rows pointed spears forward and next two pointed up at 45 degrees

how was a wall of spears at front of phalanx an advantage

it was hard for the enemy to get close to the phalanx without death

how was shields closely packed together an advantage of the phalanx

no gaps for any weapons or projectiles to hit soldiers

how was soldiers able to quickly replace the fallen an advantage of the phalanx

hard to break the wall of shields

weaknesses of the phalanx

• if someone deserts or lot of people die, phalanx weak

• lacked mobility and manoeuvrability

• sides and back not as well protected

how is people deserting a weakness

the formation relied on having people as each person protects themselves and half of the person next to them so leaves vulnerable gaps that enemy can get through to attack

how did the phalanx lack manoeuvrability or mobility

it was a tightly packed formation

how was the phalanx lacking manoeuvrability or mobility a disadvantage

can’t move if threatened

what were the strengths of the Romans throwing their pilum at start of battle

• immediately would kill a lot of their enemies

• allows them to advance much closer to their enemy

• warriors behind may trip on the fallen in front of them

• spear curved

how is immediately killing a lot of their enemies a strength

starting a fight against an already weakened force

how is advancing much closer to the enemy a strength

means the Romans can fight in their preferred close quarters

how is warriors tripping on the fallen a strength

provides easier targets for the Romans as their enemy is off balance

how is the spear being curved an advantage

cannot be picked up by the enemy and can get stuck in shield

weaknesses of throwing pilum at start of battle

• means lots of legionaries would already have lost their spear

• may not hit targets/wound/kill people so not effective

strengths of Romans fighting in loose formation with gladius and scutum

• scutum curved and so protects them from all angles

• lots of manoeuvrability

• gladius used to stab

• still close enough to form defensive formation and help comrades if needed

how is a curved scutum a strength

means the soldiers are well protected and don’t need a defensive formation

how is lots of manoeuvrability a strength

easy to fight people as tight formations make it hard to fight

weaknesses of fighting with gladius and scutum

• not as protected as not in defensive formation

• closer to enemies so a lot easier for them to hit you

what is the testudo

defensive formation, also used as ramp if needed

strengths of testudo

• shields would be locked together and soldiers closely packed together

• shield locked together above heads of soldiers and on sides of testudo

• can advance forward safely towards their enemies so arches can easily be killed at close range; also preferred style of fighting

how is the shields being locked together a strength of the testudo

strong wall of protection and close to other soldiers to help you

how is shields being locked together above and on sides a strength of the testudo

strong protection from projectiles at all angles

weaknesses of testudo

• Romans unable to fight so purely defensive

• may be harder to see where the enemy is due to being inside shield wall

methods of siege warfare used by Romans

• surround and starve

• over the wall

• through the wall

strengths of surround and starve

• very effective as inhabitants starve and forced to surrender

• spreads disease

• leaves city intact for their own use

• no Romans die yet still win

• easy

disadvantages of surround and starve

• takes a long time to accomplish so Romans need lot of supplies

strengths of over the wall

• siege towers sturdy so ladders cannot be knocked over

• cannot be attacked by enemy as covered

• archer at top to protect

disadvantages of over the walls

• could be burned down

• takes a while to build

• materials needed

• expensive

advantages of through the wall

• battering ram on wheels so easy to move

• doesn’t need to be carried

• effective at breaking wall to get inside

disadvantages of through the wall

• needs time to be built

• Needs materials to be built