Through this thought-provoking study, I have come to understand more about what life was like for a Roman soldier. For a young man, joining the army was a big step to take. Roman soldiers often died in battle, or from diseases caught on campaign. Many marched away, never to see their homes and families again.
Despite this, many young men did volunteer to become Roman soldiers. This was party through pride in family tradition, because pay was good or because of the valuable privileges it offered following a successful campaign or on retirement.
For the Roman army to be successful in battle, soldiers had to be very well trained in battle and extremely disciplined. To achieve this, new recruits were taught how to march, build a camp, were drilled twice a day, and most importantly, they were trained in the use of weapons and had to take part in mock battles.
Another key factor for success was the way the army was organised. It consisted of Italian forces, legions and allied auxiliary forces, with the rank of the prefect of the Praetorian Guard, the Aquilifier and the Primus Pilus the highest and most demanding ranks. Every legionary's dream was to be promoted to such a high rank, but to most it was impossible, for it demanded considerable educational and administrative ability.
When in battle, soldiers" training and discipline helped them to achieve success against fiercer, wilder (but less well organised) opponents and to withstand terrifying attacks. Although the Romans built forts where their soldiers could live comfortably while fighting and kept watchdogs to smell the enemy approaching, they were still at high risk of being ambushed. Forts could sometimes be taken by surprise and their defence broken down. Then every man had to fight for his life, making good use of his weapons, his strength and his training.
If successful, an officer could win fame and glory for himself and for his men, and for the tough or fortunate soldiers who did survive the duration of the service, the prospects were good.