22. The Army of Early Italy

Transcription

1 22. The Army of Early Italy From the Early Iron Age to the eve of the Punic Wars Centuriate Organization Class Property Armor Weapons Troops Senatorial I Equestrian I 125,000 Helmet, clipeus, greaves, breastplate 100,000 Helmet, clipeus, greaves, breastplate Spear Sword Spear sword II 75,000 Helmet, scutum, greaves Spear sword III 50,000 Helmet, scutum Spear sword IV 25,000 [scutum] javelin 20 V 11,000 - Sling, stones Proletariat

2 Militarized the population Entire population organized as a fighting force Populus Etymology seems to be from "army" Derived verb populari means "devastate" Assembly of "army" replaces earlier assembly of curias In the Late Republic means "body politic" or People In Empire it means the dejected poor Roman Republic BCE Latins in Rome now at war with Etruscans Rome formed a government based on the census system (senatorial oligarchy) They begin to expand throughout central Italy (Latin League) Bronze bust of L. Junius Brutus Capitoline Museum, Rome 2

3 Roman farmer/soldier (before Punic Wars) Backbone of the Roman army Plough and cultivate from harvest to sowing Then go on seasonal military campaign (Summer and mid Autumn) Every peasant (from age y.o.) liable for infantry service for 16 years signed up for length of command more than ½ served 7 years Soldiers had to possess property to enroll in the army amount slowly decreased until 101 BCE George Washington as the American Cincinnatus L. Quinctius Cincinnatus Life of the Peasant Generally under-employed Hard labor every day required for food production Potential for falling into nexum debt bondage Abolished by 326 BCE Average life expectancy was around 24 years Infants considered unfit were commonly exposed Ancient 24 years Modern 78.3 years 3

4 Roman Expansion : Osco-Umbrian Wars : Siege at Veii 386: Rome sacked by Gauls 343: 1 st Samnite War : Romano-Latin War : 2nd Samnite War : 3rd Samnite War : Pyrrhus War Osco-Umbrian Invasions (490s -390s) Italic people who lived in the mountains and lived a nomadic existence and often struggled against sedentary farmers. (war for resources) Key Umbrian peoples: Hernici (allies) Aequi Marsi Sabini Volsci Vestini Umbri Constant aggression between various Umbrians and the Roman-Latin alliance from 490s -390s War with Etruscans at Veii Three wars were fought between Rome and the Etruscan city of Veii BCE Veientine War I BCE Veientine War II BCE Veientine War III (seige of Veii) 4

5 Siege at Veii ( BCE ) Lake Alba Siege lasted 10 years Livy reports that the general Marcus Camillus drained the lake that provided the water supply Veii Rome Shows Rome s desire to expand and growing sophistication of military tactics Italy Invaded by Gauls Celtic expansion into Italy Reforms of Camillus M. Camillus instituted pay to the soldiers built (or rebuilt) the walls around Rome in 375 credited by Livy with reorganizing army from hoplite phalanx to maniple (not Polybius) The so called Servian Wall 5

6 The Latin Revolt ( ) The Roman Commonwealth (338) Latin cities: closest to Rome and given voting rights and citizenship (taxed in troops) Municipium: communities who received ½ citizenship (troop tax) the right to marry the right to migrate; own property the right to do business with and in Rome No vote End of the Latin League Treaty of Cassius broken Now each had to sign separate agreement with differing legal rights: 1) Incorporation Most of the remaining Latin communities around Rome were directly absorbed into the Roman state. 2) Continued Latin status These towns lost the communal Latin rights (commercium, conubium, change of residence) between themselves but retained them with Rome. These towns provided military contingents for the Roman army. 3) Non-voting citizenship civitas sine suffragio: "citizenship without the vote A person with such citizenship was called a municeps = "taker of duties." A town of such citizens was called a municipium. Roman Colonies Foundation of Fregellae on the Liris provoked war with the Samnites In 291 Venusia established in the center of Samnite territory In 273, Cosa in S. Etruria and Paestum in southern Italy used to maintain Roman control after the departure of Pyrrhus In the 260s Beneventum and Aesernia were sent to Samnite territory Fregellae Cales 6

7 Samnite Wars 1 st Samnite War (343-41) Rome controls Campania 2 nd Samnite War ( ) Rome defeated at Battle of Caudine Forks but win war 3 rd Samnite War (298-90) Victory at Sentinum (295) opens up the rest of central Italy Samnite Warriors Fresco at Pompeii 7

8 Battle of Caudine Forks (321 BCE) Two Roman consuls leading an invading force into Samnium were trapped in a mountain pass known as the Caudine Forks could neither advance nor retire would have been annihilated if they had not submitted to the humiliating terms under the yoke Page 108 of WAW textbook 3 Maniples = 1 Cohort 1 Century = 80 men 1 Maniple = 2 Centuries = 160 men pilum: iron tipped spear for throwing and lancing 8

9 Epirus Roman Antigonid Pergamon Carthaginian Hellenistic Kingdoms Seleucid Mauryan Parthian Ptolemaic Pyrrhus invades Italy 280 BCE Hellenistic king from Epirus in Western Greece claimed decent from Alexander Invited by Greek cities in S. Italy to take part in a civil war and check Roman expansion First time a professional Macedonian phalanx fights the Roman maniple legion The outcome gives Rome military confidence to expand even further 3,000 cavalry 2,000 archers 500 slingers 20,000 Mac hoplites 20 war elephants 9

10 280 Pyrrhus lands in Tarentum with 25,000 troops and 20 war elephants 279 Defeats Rome at Battle of Heraclea 279 Battle of Asculum: Pyrrhus wins but loses so many troops called Pyrrhic victory 278 sails to Sicily only to be forced out by the Carthaginians Wars with Pyrrhus 275 Battle of Malventum: Romans finally win and change the name of the city of Beneventum 272 leaves Italy and ravages Greece. Killed in Argos by an old woman with a roof tile. Discussion of Roman Army Legion Latin word legio originally a verbal abstraction that signifies "selection. Terms Of Service The military of the early and middle Republic was a militia of the landowners Roman Tactics military superiority through development of the maniple system of organization Officers original four legions assigned to the consuls were elected centurion appointed from the ranks by the commander on the basis of bravery and other merit Troops Cavalry Allies 10

11 Roman Imperialism: Rome unified (conquered) Italy in 100 years Why did Rome expand? Was it Social: every Roman citizen (and allies) had to serve in the army Economic: wealth and slaves to be gained by victory Cultural: desire for laus and gloria on the battlefield defined manhood Political: military fame helped get one get elected to office Spiritual: the belief that the world would be better off under Roman administration (cosmic order under Roman law) Next Step: The Punic Wars 11