The Roman Army: The Legendary Soldiers Who Created an Empire

by Dyan Blacklock, David Kennett (Illustrator)

In the second century A.D., there was only one unstoppable power in the world--the Roman Army.
The Roman Empire was one of the largest empires on history. Charged with controlling and protecting the empire's territory and subjects, the Roman army was a massive, disciplined, and fearsome fighting force. From the rise of the Roman Empire until its decline and fall, its vast holdings were conquered, absorbed, and ultimately defended by legions of professional paid soldiers. At the height of their power, no tribe, no nation could stand in their way. This is their story.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Childrens

48 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2004

Reviews

[Cris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book. My son really digs the cartoon-action illustrations. He also digs all the minutiae about the soldiers' uniforms. He is really impressed by the tactics of the soldiers, taking all their clothes off and wading downstream from the cavalry with their clothes bundled on their shield. Its less of a book to read as one to soak in facts without reading, through graphs, info-boxes and comparison pictures.

[Trenton Calvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I got on the first page is that the Roman Army was one of the most

successful empire of all time its power lasted the year 27 B.C. to 476 A.D.

The Empire was the one of the most fearsome anyone have ever seen.

The second page shows how big their territory was.

The Third page show me the army marching and training and how the

Romans already know that they needed to keep their soldier health good

and need to be proper trained or the will die. The Roman army get paid with

their salary or sal from Latin and their salary is salt.

My Favorite page is the Fourth page where the army statis shows me what

you are threw the ranks. You start off as a archer or foot soldier then when

you earn threw the footsoldier you get a legendary you get there for twenty

years. Then you continue into the army you are a general but only generals

get to be into the army is by their senate electing them.

There Fifth page whatever the soldier are walking roads are built where

there soldier are walking.Obviously, the army knows once they out of there

cites a trap can come anywhere so the soldier have to stay one step ahead

by looking everywhere so no trap and stay high alert.The roman navy plays

the most important role by transporting men's,animals,supplies. Also Grain

that was transported from Egypt plays the most important role.The sixth

page where the equipment was the soldier always carry,they carry a bag for

gears an rations,Canteen you drink from,cooking pot,extra sandals,mess kit

(pan,etc),bag of clothes, and the most important a pole to carry all of the
equipment.The army have march over 12 miles (20 kilometers). The army

have footsoldier to scout ahead.The seventh page shows the cavalry which

was the mens who also scout but more efficient because they get horses

and go back and report what they saw.The eight page the romans have

their army weapons and shields and the shield is made by three layers of

wooden stripes and glued together and the edge is made with a bound iron

cover with hide or canvas.There weapons they must carry is a spanish

sword or called a gladius a Groin guard, a dagger,military belt ends and a

spear.

The ninth period shows that the have a strict marching orders and they

have a order started behind is a (slave trader,servants,merchants, baggers

hander,and prostitutes)These the people who stay in the back-back but the

middle is (common house wives and children ) The army are not allowed to

marry anyone. Sometimes followers are captured or killed by the enemy.

The Tenth page shows me how the army bath they use rivers to clean

themselves and to clean their armies.The Eleven page The army would

engineer a pile bridge.A pile bridges were made from an iron-tipped
wooden piles rammed about 39 feet (12 meters).The twelve page was

about the army still would march during cold places like Britain,North Africa

and the soldier are well-trained they were told not to complained when food

was scarce.Roman soldier were trained to march for a long time and often

long distance.The thirteen page talked about how they would split up their

daily chores.One group of army would cooked and prepare food while the

other would make small tents to sleep and some to storage food and the

legendary is the protector who guards all the mens so they won’t get attack

by anyone.The fourteen page is about how there camp is set up they will

have walls then have a sleeping order supplies stays in the middle a

workshop is around the storage because that they most value.The fifteen

pages was mostly about how the pack up and they visit other villages and

forced them to give them food or they will attack them they go and raided

local houses , farms or villages.The sixteen page was about how they keep

on make their fortifications and they would have a battle plan ready.

The seventeen page is about how they fight the army starts throwing there

spears and there ballistae (ballistae is a power holding machine and the
have giant arrows that shoot far and demolish people)the arrows covered

the ballistae sometimes the roman army is so powerful before the battle

even happen they surrender. After they finish there arrows,ballistae and

spear they take out there spanish sword and commance there attack.Page

eighteen the romans plan was to push them back to their castles and their

plans was successful they now have to take their injure and make a new

plans to destroy them.Page nineteen once the plan has been set to attack

they form up and use a tesudo or known as tortoise (A tortoise use a

formations so they can protect them from above,and the sides.) once the

tortoise have finish they comance there attack first they break down the

walls then the arrows and ballistae to protect the ground foot.Once the

ground foot got through they finish the attack and grab prisoner and let their

enemy rot on the battlefield.Page twenty in the Roman army don’t allow

coward if you are a coward you will get killed and put to death.The last

page After the battle every roman army get paid and put there enemy boss

in chains and have their victorious parade.This is a Non-fiction book about

how the romans live and fought and died.But eventually the army fall

because of the barbarians .

[Gemma Duling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal Reaction:
I liked this book because of how much information it contained, but I think the illustrations were a little distracting.

Purpose:
I would use this book to teach a social studies unit on the Roman Empire. It describes the different sections of the Roman Empire and breaks it down so kids can easily understand it. Children can use this book to get information on the Roman Empire for a project if needed. The language is easy to understand for a book that has a lot of information in it.

[Nana Gyimah]

it is cool

[Rani · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Roman Army in the second century was amazing in many ways.

[Kristen Fort · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good tidbits of information regarding the Roman Army during the height of the Roman Empire.