Introduction:
This fact file is going be about the roman army and how they lived in the army
• General Marcius insisted on discipline in the Roman army to make them the best fighting force in the world
. • The Roman sword was called a gladius.
• They marched with their swords at stomach height to stab their enemy in the softest part of their body. If they stabbed them in the ribs it risked getting their sword stuck when they tried to pull it back out.
• They also marched with their swords at stomach height so they could use their shields for defence. They were also more open to attack if they raised their arms. • Roman soldiers kept their swords on their right hand sides. They needed to get their sword from its scabbard using a reverse grip. This was so they could keep their shields in their left hands.
• There was lots of information on a Roman soldier’s shield. For example: LEG.II.AVG meant: Legion 2 of Augustus – The second legion of Augustus. They may also have laurel wreaths around their shields to show they had been victorious in battle. They may also have a Roman deity on their shield such as Capricorn.
• The Roman shield might also be used as a weapon as they could hit people with the boss in the middle of the shield. • The Roman soldier also had a short dagger which was strong enough to be plunged through a skull. It was a dagger like this that was used to stab Julius Caesar over twenty times. • The shape of the dagger was made to slit throats.
• The Roman javelin/spear called a Pilum. When the javelin goes into a person it is designed to have a weight in the end so it drops down and rips through the enemy. The sharp point is also designed to bend so it can not be thrown back.
• After the battle all the weapons are collected up. The metal spears are collected so they can be melted down, recast and used again. General Marius also said a Roman soldier had to carry their own kit, which included:
• A razor (Tonsor) • Small Roman glass vase • Scalpel • A knife for eating • A mult-use implement – spoon, fork etc • A comb • Oil lamp • A beeswax tablet • Wooden slats for writing linked together with leather slats.
Roman Uniform:
A red woollen tunic, that won’t show the blood.Chain mail, which was slash proof.A chain mail scarf, which added extra protection for the upper body.Helmet – if the helmet has extra hair pieces attached it shows their rank.A legionary has no crest on their helmet. centurion had a crest horizontally across the helmet.The Roman Army
• General Marcius insisted on discipline in the Roman army to make them the best fighting force in the world.
• The Roman sword was called a gladius.
• They marched with their swords at stomach height to stab their enemy in the softest part of their body. If they stabbed them in the ribs it risked getting their sword stuck when they tried to pull it back out.
• They also marched with their swords at stomach height so they could use their shields for defence. They were also more open to attack if they raised their arms.
• Roman soldiers kept their swords on their right hand sides. They needed to get their sword from its scabbard using a reverse grip. This was so they could keep their shields in their left hands.
clothes and fashion
What did Roman children wear? Boys wore a tunic down to their knees and a cloak if it was cold. Rich boy's wore a toga which had a purple border. Girls wore a tunic with a woolen belt tied around their waists. Children wore a special charm around their neck called a bulla. It was given to them when they were a few days old.
What clothes did women wear?
Women wore a longer tunic which was often ankle-length. Over this the women wore a stola which was a full length from neck to ankle, high- waisted and fastened at the shoulders with clasps.
Roman women clothes
Rich women wore long tunics made from expensive cotton or silk. They also wore lots of jewellery and make-up, strong scent and elaborate hairstyles. They had specially trained slaves to help them dress. arrange their hair and put make up on their faces.
TOILETS
The Romans built public toilets in Britain. This was a new idea. Rich Romans also built toilets in their own homes.
NO PRIVACY!
Roman toilets did not have doors. They were not private. People sat next to each other and could chat to their friends if they wanted!
DID YOU KNOW?
The Romans did not use toilet paper. Instead they used a sponge on a stick.
CLEAN TOILETS
Some Roman toilets had water running underneath them to keep them clean. Sewer pipes took the dirty water away. Some Roman toilets were free, and in some you had to pay - just like public toilets used today.
BATHS
The Roman liked to keep clean. So they built public baths inin many towns. This was anew idea.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Romans also kept teeth clean just like we do. The Romans brushed their teeth with a powder made of bone and eggshells!
TRANSPORTING WATER...
The Romans made sure towns had clean, fresh water. They dug wells and built aqueducts to bring clean water from the hills to the towns.
DID YOU KNOW?
Aqueducts were made of stones. The city of Bath is named after the baths the Romans built there.
Credits:
Created with images by Nelson Lourenço - "a sense of purple"