TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Training Recruits
   
• Marching
• Combat Training
• Other Training
   
• Ongoing Training

Training Recruits

Most of what we know about Roman military training has been reported to us by Roman historians prior to or sometime after the Late Roman Republic and consequently may not be entirely accurate for the Late Republican era; but it's the best information available.

A new recruit was put on probatio (probationary status) for a time while his medical situation, character, and stamina were assessed to determine whether he was legionary material. Once accepted, the recruit was trained over three or four months in:

Marching

• Such training wouldn't be begun until the Legionary had completed most of his training. "Full pace" marching for long marches and "military pace" marching for tight drill were both practiced. How Legionaries were taught to march in time is still a mystery, since the drum seems to have been unknown in the Roman Army. On the march, new recruits were expected to cover 20 Roman miles in five hours in full field pack at military pace and 24 miles at full pace.

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Combat Training

• Correct use of the gladius and scutum. Initially, recruits drilled using wicker shields and wooden swords, weighing twice as much as a real gladius, against six foot high posts which were planted in the ground. When they became proficient with these, they then switched to training with real arms. Formal training ended with recruits pairing off and sparring each other.
   
• Correct use of the Pilum. As with gladii training, pila of greater weight than employed in the field were used so as to develop the recruit's arm strength. Targets were the same six foot high posts used for gladius training. When the recruit finally mastered these heavier pila, he took up the normal pila and practiced with those. Formal training ended with legionaries pairing off and launching pila praepilata (pila with leather buttons for tips) at one another.
   
• The art of throwing stones, by hand and by using a sling.
   
• Battlefield formations and maneuvers--forming and shifting between single, double, and triple line formations as well as squares, circles, and wedges.
   
• Battlefield training and practice with experienced troops.

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Other Training

• Physical conditioning such as:
   
• Swimming
• Jumping
• Cutting down trees
• Carrying heavy packs
• Vaulting onto horses--mounting and dismounting from both the right and the left with their weapons drawn or holding their pila. Wooden horses were used until the recruits became proficient. Then real horses were used
• Running in full armor
   
• Digging defensive ditches
   
• Erecting ramparts and palisades
   
• Other camp construction activities
   
• Taking care of equipment
   
• Erecting tents
   
• Giving first aid

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On-going Training

Roman soldiers never stopped training. Whenever possible, they exercised and trained for combat. Archers and Slingers set up scopae (bundles of twigs or straw) as targets at 600 feet to practice against

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