The Roman Legions

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Organization in the Roman Legions
The Roman Imperial Legions were a force to be reckoned with, but what brought them to such a status? Many thought their soldiers were the main contributors, but many fail to acknowledge the formations, rank systems, and overall organization of each and every legionem. Each and every soldier has a job, meaning every century knows what to do, making their cohort able to work properly, leading to the overall success of a legionem. This meant that Rome could defeat any army, even with a mob. The advanced structure and unique organization of the Imperial Legions brought Rome to be the superpower of their time.
So often put forward, is the idea that the troops were the reason for the success of Rome. They were the best trained and most well-armored soldiers of their time, and their skill in battle was renowned. However, Socrates once said, “-He should also, as a matter of course, know his tactics, for a disorderly mob is no more an Army than a heap of building materials is a house.”1 This, in essence, means that without tactics and organization, an army is nothing. Another anonymous author said, “An army with no commander is just a well-armed mob.” The Roman’s did not simply rely on their strong soldiers, but rather put emphasis in creating a system with clear leaders and a structure in place that ensured that everyone knew what to do and when to do it.
In order to understand how the Roman Imperial Army’s structure made them superior, one must understand how they were organized. The army was made up of legiones. In a legionem, ten cohorts existed. Each cohort contained 480 men and headed by six centurions1. Within each cohort, there were six centuries containing 80 men each. (See Figure 1) The F...

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...(accessed February 7, 2014).

Plutarch. Lives; Book XI: Demetirus and Antony. Pyrrhus and Gaius Marius. Translated by Bernadotte Perrin. Digital Koeb Classical Library. http://www.hup.harvard.edu/collection.php?cpk=1031.

"Roman Army Rank Structure." Roman Army Rank Structure. http://s_van_dorst.tripod.com/Ancient_Warfare/Rome/hierarchy.html (accessed February 5, 2014).

UNRV. "Roman Legion." Accessed March 27, 2014. http://www.unrv.com/military/legion.php.
"Structure of the Legion | Strategy & Tactics | The Roman Military." Structure of the Legion | Strategy & Tactics | The Roman Military. http://romanmilitary.net/strategy/structure/ (accessed February 5, 2014).
Vassar College Public Access Employee Directory. "Gaius Marius." Accessed March 27, 2014. http://faculty.vassar.edu/jolott/old_courses/republic1998/marius/.
Xenophon. "Iii." Memorabilia. Ithaca: n.p. Print.

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