The Ala The ala was composed entirely of cavalry. The name is Latin for wing and derives from the use of horsemen on the flanks of an army, where they gave protection to the infantry centre. When necessary they could deliver flank attacks themselves and thereafter deploy against retreating enemy or attempt to divert pressure …
The Layout of a Roman Legion’s camp Below you find the layout of camp of a Roman army on the march. Every night the legion would halt and erect a camp in this layout. As every Roman force used the same scheme, this meant that every soldier always knew where to find everything. Also this …
Nowhere does the Roman talent for organization show itself so clearly as in its army. The story of the Roman army is an extensive one, demonstrated in part by the scale of this chapter. The first part of this chapter considers the history of the Roman army (concentrating on the legions), trying to explain as …