L O How did the Roman army help

L. O. How did the Roman army help the empire expand?

Where were the Romans from? Whaen was the Roman Empire? What were some of the modern day countries they conquered? How do you think they were able to expand their empire in this way?

The Roman Army The Roman army was larger, more powerful, more organised and more advanced than most others at the time. It was the first paid, professional army in the world and it was known to take on armies 10 times its size and still win!

1. Only the strongest soldiers Soldiers in the army had to be in top physical condition and anybody not strong enough would be rejected. As the empire expanded, soldiers from other countries were recruited, with the army selecting top soldiers from Africa, the Middle East, France and Spain. Only men could join the army, and they had to be tall enough to make the cut. There were two types of soldiers….

2. Highly organised army The Roman army was made up of LEGIONS which had around 5000 men. Legions were organised in a very specific way:

3. Effective equipment Roman soldiers were equipped with armour and weapons that helped then to attack and defend successfully. Can you work out the role of each piece of equipment?

4. Top training Roman soldiers spent a lot of time training for battle. Their ongoing training kept their fitness levels high and taught them the best fighting strategies. They were also trained to build forts and camps wherever they travelled. Soldiers were trained how to: • Engage in combat • Daily weapons training • March for miles carrying all their heavy equipment. • Build camps • Swim across rivers • Attack forts • Follow exact orders.

4. Fighting formations and tactics When fighting in formation, Roman soldiers would stand close together to form a particular shape, choosing particular types of soldiers to take important positions. The Tortoise formation (Testudo) Use their shields to create a roof and wall around them. The Square formation Used when surrounded, and against cavalry. The Wedge Formation (Pig’s Head) Used to cut through ranks of soldiers.

https: //www. bbc. co. uk/bitesize/clips/zn 2 mhyc https: //www. bbc. co. uk/bitesize/topics/zwmpfg 8/articles/zqbnfg 8

Your Mission • Create a poster about the Roman army and its soldiers. Try to include: • • • Who were Roman soldiers? What equipment did they use? How were they organised? What training did they go through? What tactics and formations did they use. • Include drawings as well as writing. • Concentrate on presentation. • Use the internet to research more information. Google search – it will be the first link. • primary homework help roman soldiers for kids (lots of links to click on about different areas of the Roman army) • BBC Bitesize Roman army • Ducksters Roman army • DK find out Roman army (also a link for Roman weapons) • Imagining history Roman army (on the first page, scroll to the bottom for links to weapons, soldiers and army)

Extension How did the Roman army help the empire to expand? • Write this question out in your book. • Use what you have learnt to answer it. • Think of all the strengths of the Roman army and how they compared to other armies at the time.

Plenary Share some of your work with the rest of the class