Title: Imperium: How Rome became an Empire | by Christos Antoniadis | Medium
Headings: Imperium: How Rome became an Empire
Imperium: How Rome became an Empire
Factors of Imperial Expansion
The Republican System
Roman attitudes to non-Romans and Italian elites
The Roman Army
Rome Dominant
From Res Publica to Principate
The Fall of the Republic
Octavian Caesar Augustus — Rome’s First Emperor

Content: The Roman Army
Image Source: Roman legion. Wkimedia Commons. Free Art License
The Roman military machine was one of the major reasons for the Roman expansion. As stated above, the Romans were never short on manpower due to the fact that they incorporated large number of non-Romans into their military body and were able to muster a large number of allied soldiers. The core of the Roman military was the legion, heavy infantry that during the early and mid Republic was raised from among the property owning citizens of the state. After Gaius Marius’ reforms, the Roman military was professionalized and its quality this increased even further. The standard sword of all legionaries was the gladius, a Spanish cut and thrust sword. It was among the most deadly weapons of antiquity. They also carried the scutum, an oval shield.