Roman+Soldiers

s The Romans never would have gotten anywhere if they didn't have such a superior army. //**Rome**// Rome was one of the largest empires ever. It was approximetely was 1,698,849 square miles at it's peak. It was founded around 750 B.C. It was started by Latin tribes. The city has lasted for about 2,800 years, starting in 9th century B.C. The whole empire lasted untill 286 A.D., when it was invaded by Barbaric tribes. The Byzantine Empire(the Western Roman Empire) lasted for nearly another thousand years, but we are not going to talk about that. The roman warrior relied highly on their weapons and armoury. Their main weapon was a razor sharp spear called, "pilum", that they threw at the emeny. After the spear made contact, the tip would bend so that the enemies would'nt be able to use the spear for their own use. The roman warriors also used swords called, "gladius", which are short and narrow swords used for thrusting and cutting. The roman gladiators also used these in the coliseum battles. The roman warriors/gladiators used basic leather and metal body armour/helmets. Rome built forts to house their soldiers, and massive arenas for public gladiator battles, stage entertainment, and sometimes, executions. The largest of these arenas was the Colosseum, a vast, massive structure that could hold up to 60,000 people. Once, the coliseum was flooded with water from a near-by lake for a mock sea battle. It had an underground system of cages, elevators, and a canvas awning could be stretched over the top on sunny days. Roman architecture worked so well that it is still used today in some of our buildings, football stadiums for example. Gladiators were usually prisoners or slaves. They were trained in gladiator schools. Gladiators took part in mock battles, one-on-one battles, or once, there was a mock sea battle when the Colosseum was flooded. Gladiators used a small sword called a gladius. There were different classes of gladiators that would fight against each other. They sometimes used nets and trident spears in battles. In some cases, a gladiator could earn his freedom. This could only be done if they won all their fights, or if the emperor freed them because they were one of his favorites. If you weren't freed, eventually you would probably get killed in a fight. Gladiators didn't have a very high life expectancy. //**Conclusion**// Rome was one of the longest-lasting empires of the ancient world. they conquered Northern Africa, Western Asia, and a great deal of Europe. They defeated such great armies as those of Cleopatra of Egypt, Hannibal of Carthage, Southern Britain, and many smaller Germanic or barbaric tribes. The Romans ruled one of the greatest empires in history.
 * Roman Warrior**
 * [[image:chardonworldhistorytextbook:Roman-Armour[1].jpg width="152" height="205" caption="Armor and Weaponry of a Roman Warrior"]] ||
 * Armor and Weaponry of a Roman Warrior ||
 * //Weapons and Armor//**
 * //Roman Structures//**
 * //Gladiators//**