Ancient and Archaeology聽 permalink
How Fast did Roman Armies move?
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Message 1.聽
Posted by TheodericAur (U13724457) on Monday, 20th July 2009
It seems that the Roman Army moved at about fifteen miles per day between camps.
Was this typical even during a war setting?
Also very few Roman Armies were attacked on route, with some notable exceptions like Varus, but surely this would have been exactly where the armies were most vulnerable - so how did they protect themselves?
Thanks - TA -
Message 2
Posted by englishvote (U5473482) on Tuesday, 21st July 2009
Hi TheodericAur
How fast any Roman army could move would of course have depended on what type of units is was composed of, after the 3rd century AD the introduction of more mobile field armies would have meant greater speeds for the cavalry element of these armies. As the Roman army came to rely more and more on cavalry rather than infantry legions the army could move faster.
A very good source of information about Roman orders of march and how the army deployed in enemy territory is contained in 鈥淎rrian鈥檚 Order of Battle Against the Alans鈥 or 鈥淓ktaxis Kata Alanon鈥 if you can read Greek.
This 2nd century AD work describes the order of march and units involved in an actual campaign.
a brief study of Roman military history provides a list of unfortunate episodes where Roman armies have been ambushed while marching.
In 321BC two entire Roman consular armies were ambushed at the Caudine Forks and forced to pass 鈥渦nder the yoke鈥 as part of the surrender terms imposed by the Samnites.
In 217 BC Caius Flaminius led 25,000 Roman troops into a trap at Lake Trasimene while rushing to pursue Hannibal. Most of the Romans were killed or captured for very few Carthaginian casualties
And then there was Varus in the Teutoberger Wald in 9 AD where he managed to lose 3 legions while marching through what he thought was friendly territory. -
Message 3
Posted by TheodericAur (U13724457) on Tuesday, 21st July 2009
Hi Englishvote
Many thanks.
My Greek is sadly non existent however there appears to be an english translation so I will peruse this.
Kind Regards - TA -
Message 4
Posted by Nik (U1777139) on Wednesday, 22nd July 2009
But one has to note that it was not only the Romans vulnerable to attacks during marching. It was (and is) practically any army. One must not also make comparison between "localised armies" like for example the armies of Greek states that did not go really far from home, thus naturally taking only the strictly necessary items, often almost wearing full attire at most times of the march.
Roman armies (like other Imperial armies) marched considerably far from home, carrying many more things than the strictly necessary and thus they became naturally more vulnerable to sudden attacks.
One army that really seemed less vulnerable was that of Alexander the Great, quite surprising considering the complexity of tactics followed - not so much evident in the campaign against Darius but in the following campaigns in Sogdiane and what is nowadays Afganistan and Pakistan (where every 2km they had to face attacks, still prevailing after a rapid campaign of only 3 years despite their desperately small numbers).
Anyway, back to the initial issue Romans seemed to move around 15 and at times 20km per day if talking about cavalry. Which is not very far from the 20-25km of Marlborough's army in the 18th A.D. century - take into consideration that the latter had to carry mainly rifles as weaponry, easily the 1/5th of weight of what Romans were carrying. But then a relatively slightly more armoured army, Philip's army later employed by Alexander the Great, averaged... 30km per day (funnily also indicated in some places by the funny phrase "every 30km a bunch of olive trees... trees sprung by the olives thrown by soldiers eating during break, perhaps based on reality!)... while texts said Philip had trained the army to top 50km per day fully armed and ready for battle - amazing and unbelievable but trustworthy when reading that Philip's "Silvershields" were still fearsome and still winning battles in their 60s (remaining to the end unbeatable). Philip's army managed all that by taking along only the "strictly necessary", leaving aside... dinner and stuff for ... "after having conquered the invaded land".
Still even if Philip's army topped a 50km, the most rapid army until WWII and mobile warfare was the Mongolian, topping 100km, albeit solely on horses. -
Message 5
Posted by TheodericAur (U13724457) on Wednesday, 22nd July 2009
Hi E_Nikolaos_E
Many thanks for the information. Alexander appears to have been an incredible and resourceful leader in many ways.
I have heard that Julius Ceasar marched his armies at an impressive pace covering many kilometres each day. What is your opinion on this?
Kind Regards - TA -
Message 6
Posted by Nik (U1777139) on Wednesday, 22nd July 2009
I think there have been experiments by re-enactment groups trying to follow what was written in texts in combination with common logic (for things we do not know, we just try to find a solution given the means - i.e. exactly what the people back then would do).
I have no doubt that Ceasar, a weathered general, would move his armies quite fast. Take into account that by those times Romans were already into road making (roadmaking was initiated to move more fast the armies first and then to enable commercial routes). So in times where he moved legions at a regional level, he might had been able to do it fast, especially in France where the existence of a large number of navigable rivers enabled the continuous and fast-paced provision of the marching army in such a way so as to enable it getting rid of some extra-weight (...and those slow ox-dragged carts!). I would not be surprised if he moved the armied at a "relaxed" 25km a day. Afterall back then Roman legionaires were still quite poorly clad (often without body armour) apart their heavy wooden shield (do not bring into your mind the later fully-clad Imperial praetorians), thus that meant less slow carriages around. -
Message 7
This posting has been hidden during moderation because it broke the in some way.
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Message 8
Posted by stanilic (U2347429) on Sunday, 1st November 2009
I seem to recall from my reading of De Bello Gallico for Latin O Level back in the early Sixties that Caesar considered 20 `millia passuum' to be sufficient for a legionary to march in a day. That would be 20,000 paces in a day.
This leaves us with two questions: how good is my memory and how long is a pace? -
Message 9
Posted by TwinProbe (U4077936) on Sunday, 1st November 2009
Hi Stanilic,
That's my memory too. The Roman mile was marginally shorter that the Statute Mile but it does seem that the soldiers were expected to march a maximum 20 miles per day. At 4 mph a 5 hour march, day after day, is quite searching if you are carrying all your kit and expect to fortify a camp when you arrive at your destination.
No wonder they quickly provided Roman roads to move along and permanent fortifications to occupy. Interestingly the Hadrian's Wall forts are nearer 10 miles apart so perhaps the military authorities eventually wanted their fighting forces to stay fresher in an emergency.
Kind regards,
TP -
Message 10
Posted by TheodericAur (U13724457) on Sunday, 1st November 2009
Hi TP / Stanilac
The Roman Forts in parts of South Wales equally are 10 - 15 miles apart.(Llandovery to Llandeilo to Carmarthen to Tavernspite)
It has been mentioned that some temporary camps were six miles, sort of half way points between established forts - perhaps indicative of an invasion force.
I had understood that "Caesar Speed" was unusual in that he moved his men quicker than other commanders.
Kind Regards - TA -
Message 11
Posted by Frank Parker (U7843825) on Sunday, 1st November 2009
how long is a pace聽 Probably less than a metre. So 20k paces is no more than 20km - ie. about 12-14 miles rather than 20 miles. Say 4 hours if one assumes 3 - 3.5 mph given the likely weight being carried.
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Message 12
Posted by JonWickerMan2 (U13225789) on Sunday, 1st November 2009
It seems that the Roman Army moved at about fifteen miles per day between camps.聽
Josephus, in his The Jewish War, IV, 663, records that the Roman army under Titus marched for 'one day' between Kasion, Ostrakine, Rhinocorura & Rafia. That is three days from Kasion to Rafia.
The Antonine Itinerary & Pap. Ryland IV both give 26 Roman miles (39 km) between Kasion & Ostrakine.
The same sources then provide 24 Roman miles (36 km) for the leg between Ostrakine and Rhinocorura. While the Tabula Peut. give 23 Roman miles (34.5 km) for this same leg of the journey.
According to Herbert Verreth, in his The Northern Sinai, 2006, the stretch from Rhinocorura to Rafia, taken from the Itinerary, is recorded as 22 Roman miles (33 km), but this distance is debated as the account is incomplete.
Verreth records the actual distance between el-Arish & Rafia is closer to 46 km.
The distance between Pelusium & Kasion, stated by Josephus as 'one day' cannot be included in any analysis as he writes that Titus crossed the Pelusian river mouths before marching overland to Kasion. Hence this days journey was began by a voyage of unknown length.
All the best, Wickerman -
Message 13
Posted by stanilic (U2347429) on Sunday, 1st November 2009
Twin Probe
When fit I can just about do four miles an hour at a stretch over long distance without carrying the sort of kit the Roman legionaire was expected to carry. Surely this should be 3 mph or six or so hours a day?
No doubt they fitted in a lunch break at some point.
They also must have built a marching fort at the end of the long day's march. By our standards that is a long and heavy day: also we have to appreciate that conquest was an extra. -
Message 14
Posted by Anglo-Norman (U1965016) on Monday, 2nd November 2009
Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:56 GMT, in reply to stanilic in message 13
Some years ago (1990s, I think) Legio XXI Rapax, a German group created for the occasion, covered 100 miles in four days equipped as Augustan legionaries - though that was without a baggage train, of course. That was including the marching packs as well as arms and armour, plus - IIRC - mules to carry the tents and heavier equipment, as done by the Romans. (Ox carts, of course, were used for supplies, artillery, officers' tents and equipment and so on - something XXI Rapax didn't have to put up with in this case). -
Message 15
Posted by TheodericAur (U13724457) on Tuesday, 3rd November 2009
Hi Anglo Norman
Regarding the 100 mile trek - did the group build a camp at the end of the day?
I expect that you would need to factor in this as a practical re-enactment for an invasion force.
Kind Regards - TA -
Message 16
Posted by giraffe47 (U4048491) on Tuesday, 3rd November 2009
Men were shorter in Roman times, so I would think a standard Roman Pace would be no more than the current British Army 30 inches, and probably less.
I suspect I would be closer to the 'average build' of a Roman Soldier than most these days (small, broad, short legs!) and I would find it impossible to march in 1 metre paces. 70cm would be comfortable, maybe 80cm at a pinch? Call it 75cm? 20,000 paces should be 15K, more like 10 miles per day, with a camp to break in the morning, and build again in the evening!
Not a job for skivers. -
Message 17
Posted by Anglo-Norman (U1965016) on Tuesday, 3rd November 2009
Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:09 GMT, in reply to TheodericAur in message 15
TA, to be honest I'm not sure, but given that it was more archaeological experiment than conventional living history, they may well have done. -
Message 18
Posted by giraffe47 (U4048491) on Tuesday, 3rd November 2009
Even if the 'experiment' was as authentic as they could make it, doing it for 4 days is not the same as doing it day in, day out, for a whole campaign. Better to keep your troops fit and ready for combat than to push for distance, unless it is really necessary.
Even I could manage 20 miles, if 30,000 painted barbarians were behind me!
Also better to do 8 miles, and pick a good campsite, than 12 miles and maybe end up in a bad one.
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