Download Primary History: Romans

Primary History: Romans
Extension Activity - The Roman Army
The Roman Empire needed a very big and well-trained army. The
legions had names and numbers. Four legions took part in the invasion
of Britain in AD 43. They were the II Augusta, IX Hispana, XIV Gemina
and XX Valeria Victrix. (The numbers are all Roman numerals, so check
what they mean in modern numerals.)
Find out more about life in the Roman army.
• What was a Roman sword like?
• What did the soldiers’ armour look like?
• What was a centurion’s hat like?
• What food did soldiers eat?
Make a wall chart about the Roman army. Use these headings to
start with:
Uniform Training Weapons
What other headings can you can think of?
Every legion had at least three or four standards. Find out about the
standard-bearer in a Roman legion. Why did the soldiers fight to
protect their ‘eagle’?
Discover more about the legions' standards. Make your own standard
for a legion of your classmates.
List the disadvantages of joining the Roman army, such as can’t
marry and have to stay in the army for 25 years.
How about the advantages? Good wages … what else?
Imagine a Roman family, with a son who wants to join the army. Talk
about it as they might have done. Why does he want to go? How will it
affect the family? Should he join a legion, or some other unit?
Primary History
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