The Romans were highly successful in war due to their effective weapons and tactical formations. They had armor like the lorica segmentata and helmets like the cassis to protect soldiers. Offensive weapons included the short gladius sword, powerful pilum javelins, and mounted ballistae and onager artillery. Defensive formations were used like the tortoise and wedge to minimize casualties and break enemy lines. Together, these weapons and tactical innovations allowed the Roman army to dominate opponents.

1. By Yang Han Div. 1

2. The Romans were an extremely successful civilization.
They conquered numerous other civilizations and became
the most powerful civilization in ancient times. Most of this
happened because they had a strong military. They would
crush their opponents and make them apart of Rome. But
how did they become so successful in war? What gave
them such an advantage over other civilizations? So my
question is: “what weapons and tactics did the roman use
to make them so successful in war?” lets take a look.

4. The Cassis was a helmet made of bronze. Many people think that it looked like
a pot. It protected the most important part of the body, the head! The lorica
Segmentata was a type of armor made by overlapping steel plates. This helps
answer the question because with armor, troops can take more hits and still be
able to fight, therefore, giving them an advantage over troops without armor.

5. The Gladius was a short sword used mostly for stabbing. The Gladius
was usually made of steel. The Gladius was shorter and lighter than
other swords, making it a perfect weapon at close range. You can stab
and slash and not get too tired. Plus, a shorter sword makes it easier to
stab vulnerable places like the neck or groin. Longer swords would
become un-wieldable because there is no room to swing them. It helps
answer the question because it they could fight more effectively at
close range, then the Romans have an advantage over their enemies.

6. The Pilum was basically a javelin. It was made by attaching a long tip
onto a wooden stick. It gave every Roman infantry a short ranged, high
penetration weapon. One hit from the Pilum and you’re basically dead.
The tip of the Pilum was soft and would bend, therefore not giving the
enemy a free weapon. Even if the enemy blocks the Pilum with his
shield, the Pilum would embed itself into the shield and make the
shield useless. This helps answer the question because a volley of
Pilum’s is an extremely effective tactic against both infantry and
cavalry.

7. The Scutum was a curved rectangular shield. It was light enough to be
held with one arm. The curved shape of the Scutum made it unlikely
that the user would be hit with a projectile. However, the Scutum
sometimes broke in battle because it was light. The Scutum has a metal
boss in the center that was used to hit people. This helps answer the
question because with a remarkable shield, you can block the enemy’s
attacks. If you just had a sword, then you have to parry every time.
•
(left)
This is
the metal
edge of
the
Scutum.

9. This Scorpio was an early mounted crossbow and the sniper of the
past. The Scorpio was made of wood and strong string. Men with
Scorpios were usually posted up a hill so they had a clear view of the
enemy. The Scorpio fired bolts that penetrated shields and badly
wounded enemy soldiers. Each legion had a standard of 60 Scorpios.
This helps answer the question because it allowed Romans to pick
enemy troops off without risking any of their own.
(top) This is an arrow head that the
Scorpio shot.

10. The Ballista was the Scorpio’s bigger brother. It was a giant mounted
crossbow. Like the Scorpio, it had extremely high accuracy but a
farther range. It also had better penetration and thus caused way more
damage. The ballista could take down fully armored troops. The
Ballista was sometimes pulled by horses, making it mobile. This helps
answer the question because it gave the Romans a way for soldiers of
average strength to take down fully armored troops from a long
distance.
(top) This is part of the Ballista’s metal frame.

11. The Onager is a type of ancient roman catapult that got its energy from
twisting rope. It has the same principles as a rubber band airplane.
Instead using a rubber band, the Onager used rope. Instead of spinning
a propeller, the Onager swung a wooden arm. There was either a scoop
or a sling on the end of the arm which was loaded with rocks and other
projectiles. The Onager was used to attack castles and fortresses. This
answers the question because it gave the Romans a way to destroy fort
walls or lob projectiles over the walls.
(left)
This is
a frame
that the
an
Onager
used to
sit on.

13. Romans chose their engagements carefully; the battle ground could
sway the results of the battle. The Romans liked to choose land where
they are higher than their opponents. This gave the Romans better use
of artillery as well as confidence. If you were attacking cavalry with
infantry, you want rocky and uneven ground. If there was wind, you
want it to blow towards the enemy so it would blind them with dust.
The same applied to the Sun; you want it shining in their eyes. This
helps answer the question because it gave the Romans a geographical
advantage.
This is a
carving of
a battle,
note that
the romans
are on the
higher
ground.

15. The tortoise was a defensive formation were the first row of soldiers
would hold their shield in front of themselves and the second row of
soldiers would hold their shields over the head of the soldiers in the
first row. This formation effectively blocked most incoming projectiles.
This formation was used when marching toward the enemy line. This
helps answer the question because it allowed Romans to take as little
casualties as possible.

16. The wedge was used to break the enemy line and force them into close
quarters combat. It was a squad of soldiers in the shape of a triangle.
They would attack the enemy then expand outwards. This was where
the Gladius came in handy. It was held low and used as a stabbing
weapon. This helps answer the question because it made the Romans
more effective at fighting.

17. Like the anti-wedge, the saw was a separate
unit immediately behind the front line.
When there was a break in the front line, the
“saw” would come rushing in to fill the gap
and reform the line. This helps answer the
question because it prevented the front line
form breaking. You do not want your front
line to break.

18. In this formation, every second soldier would step back to
make a new line. The formation doubles the number of
ranks you have. This was useful when you need to attack
fast or withdraw quickly. This formation also allowed
retreating friendly troops to pass though. This helps
answer the question because it gave the Romans a way to
safely retreat.

19. This formation was used against cavalry. The front line would put their
shields in front of themselves and their stick their spears out. The
second line would keep their spears ready. What would happen was
when a horse came it would stop before the first row’s spears and
become vulnerable to the second row. This helps answer the question
because it gave the Romans an extremely effective way to fight cavalry.

20. The orb was a defensive formation
in the shape of a complete circle. The
orb was a last stand position and
was only used if a part of the army
gets separated from the main body
or if you were completely
surrounded by the enemy. Either
way, you do not want to be forced to
use this tactic. This helps answer the
question because it gave the Roman
a defensive formation to wait to be
reattached to the main body of the
army or to survive as long as
possible.

21. Ok so now let’s remember our original question:
what weapons and tactics did the Romans used to
become so successful? They were successful
because they had good weapons that
complimented their tactics. They had state of the
art artillery to kill from a distance. Of course, they
also had superior tactics. If you add all of these up,
you get the answer to the question. Thank you for
reading my presentation!