Title: Roman infantry tactics - Wikipedia
Headings: Roman infantry tactics
Roman infantry tactics
Contents
Evolution
Roman Infantry of the Roman Kingdom and Republic
Roman infantry of the Late Republic and Early Empire
Roman Infantry of the Late Empire
Manpower
Equipment and training
Equipment
Individual weapons, personal equipment and haulage
Artillery package
Training
Organization, leadership and logistics
Command, control and structure
Military structure and ranks
Force structure
Rank summary
Logistics
Battle
Initial preparations and movement for battle
Deployment for combat
Layout of the triple line
Maneuvering
Formations
Combat
3-line system advantages
Flexibility
Mixing of a continuous front with interval fighting
Line spacing and combat stamina
Post-deployment commands
Siegecraft and fortifications
Besieging cities
Field fortifications
Infantry effectiveness
Roman infantry versus the Macedonian phalanx
Versus Pyrrhus
Notable triumphs
Battle of Cynoscephalae
Battle of Pydna
Other anti-phalanx tactics
Versus Hannibal's Carthage
Roman infantry versus Gallic and the Germanic tribes
Barbarian armies
Early Gallic victories
Tactical performance versus Gallic and Germanic opponents
Gallic and Germanic strengths
Gallic and Germanic weaknesses
Gallic and Germanic chariots
Superior tactical organization: victory of Caesar at the Sambre River
Persisting logistics strategy: Gallic victory at Gergovia
Roman infantry versus mobile and guerilla warfare in Hispania
Victory through attrition
Resource tactics
Roman infantry versus cavalry
Tactical problems of fighting cavalry
Successful tactics
Decline
"Barbarization" of the heavy infantry
Changes in the legions
The mobile forces approach
Disadvantages of the mobile reserve strategy versus the "forward" policy
Twilight of the hard-core infantry
Assessment of the Roman infantry
Central factors in Roman success
See also
References
Citations
Sources
Primary sources
Secondary sources
External links

Content: The original Roman army was made up of hoplites, whose main strategy was forming into a phalanx. By the early third century BCE, the Roman army would switch to the maniple system, which would divide the Roman army into three units, hastati, principes, and triarii. Later, Marius would institute the Marian reforms, creating the Roman legion of popular imagination. Eventually, Roman emperor Diocletian would create the Comitatenses and Limitanei units to better defend the empire . Roman legionaries had armor, a gladius, a shield, two pila, and food rations. They carried around tools such as a dolabra, a wooden stave, a shallow wicker, and a basket. These tools would be used for building the castrum. Sometimes Roman soldiers would have mules that carried equipment. Legions carried onagers, ballistae, and scorpios . Roman soldiers would train for four months.