The ancient Roman legions played a key role in the rapid expansion of contemporary Roman civilization. The average Roman soldier was trained to fight in a formation of about 5,000 fellow warriors, each group forming a Roman legion . Their disciplined fighting tactics played a crucial role in crushing their opponents in battles. It also helped that the Roman infantry came equipped with an armory that allowed for quick offenses and provided a solid defense. Ironically, however, the standards and discipline of ancient Roman military tactics were absent in their military armor and attire. Here is a list of the top

10.belts



The ancient Romans called this belt the balteus. A typical military belt was worn over the shoulder and reached down to the opposite hip. The Roman legions typically used the balteus to hang their sword or any other relevant piece of military equipment on. These belts were mass produced from leather and high-ranking military Romans preferred their baltei to be decorated with valuable gems, stones, and metals.

In the Roman ranks, a single belt to support a dagger and the bearer’s tunic took over from the tradition of two crossed belts popularly worn during the Augustan era. Often, the single belt was embellished with narrow or wide belt plates. These plates were made up of cast brass with a shiny tin or silver finish stamped into them. One style of belt was always rolled and, on occasions, had ball-headed pins attached to it.

9. Legionary Swords



The gladius Hispaniensis or Spanish sword was first used by tribes in the Iberian peninsula and, following the Punic Wars , became the standard sword of Roman legionaries from the 2nd century BCE as its relatively short and double-edged blade made it ideal for cutting and thrusting in the confined space of hand to hand combat on the ancient battlefield.

Origins

The gladius Hispaniensis sword (aka ' Hispanicus' ) probably first came to the attention of Rome during the First and Second Punic Wars of the 3rd century BCE when it was used by Iberian tribes fighting as mercenaries and allies of the Carthaginians. The short blade of the gladius Hispaniensis made it an ideal weapon when soldiers were closely engaged with the enemy and gave its carrier a distinct advantage over an opponent armed with an unwieldy and heavier, longer-bladed sword who had no space in which to swing his blade. The Romans were quick to see its advantages and both legionaries and auxiliaries used the sword to good effect in the conquest of Gaul when the local tribes, armed with long swords, could only cut while the Romans could both cut and stab. Legionaries were specifically trained to stab while protecting themselves with their shield rather than expose their torso and arm by slashing.

8. Tunics



The style of Roman clothing was influenced by the

Ancient Greeks and evolved over time to incorporate styles and costume from across the Roman Empire.

Clothes were commonly made of wool and occasionally linens like silk and cotton were imported. Silk was very expensive and could only be afforded by the rich. The wool was spun into cloth by the women in the family.

Washing clothes was difficult in ancient Rome because they did not have a washing machine or soap powder in those days. Washing clothes could be done with either a chemical called sulphur or urine.

Roman men would usually wear a knee-length tunic called a chilton which came down to the knees. These could be either sleeveless or short-sleeved. In cold weather, men would often wear more than one tunic. A cloak was also worn by Roman men over their tunic. This was like a wide shawl draped over the shoulder and wrapped around their body.

7. Helmets (Galea)



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Very educative