A Phalanx With Joints

-4 general phases of the Roman army:
   -1st phase- around the time of Romulus- a horde of dudes charging into hand-to-hand combat.
   -2nd phase- mid-500s- began to utilize Greek-style phalanx tactics, used this until the Samnite Wars when they noticed that it definitely had some flaws.
   -3rd phase- changed from phalanx to the maniple system, which started during the Second Samnite War around 315 BC.
   -4th phase- around 100 BC- ushered in by Gaius Marius- the legion!
-The phalanx- single line of 8-16 men, usually made up of rows in a big square or rectangular mass.
   -It was a badass formation that the Romans used for hundreds of years, but proved to be problematic when fighting the Samnites.
      -Samnite territory was really hilly and uneven, difficult to maintain a phalanx formation effectively.
         -Also, the Samnites had light infantry and cavalry, plus they knew how the lay of the land well and could easily outflank the phalanx.
-As a result of the obsolescence of the phalanx, the Romans invented the maniple system.
   -Implemented during the Second Samnite War to improve the phalanx formation.
   -Much more flexible.
   -Commanded by 2 senior centurions and 2 junior centurions.
-Romans also had light infantry- rich enough to fight, but too poor to afford lots of equipment.
   -Between 1000-1200 in a legion, usually the first to charge into battle to mask the Roman phalanxes.  After the first strike, they would retreat to behind the phalanx.
   -On the wings of the army were the cavalry (2nd component of the Roman army), who would fight off the enemy cavalry, and then if their cavalry won, they would attack the enemy infantry.
      -The cavalry was traditionally made up of rich Romans- the equites, who would soon outsource this job to their allies since the Romans sucked on horseback.
-Allies- the third component of the Roman legion.
   -Made up of Roman subjugated peoples, led by Roman officers- usually light or heavy Roman infantry.
      -Over time it began to be led by their own officers.
      -Required to provide an equal number of infantry and twice the number of cavalry that the Romans provided.  These allies were usually located between maniples and their cavalry on the battlefield.
-In total, the Roman army was about 8,000-10,000 men.
   -4200 Roman legionnaires, 4200 allies, 1000 cavalry.
      -Followed by thousands of slaves, servants, workers, etc.
-Soldiers were usually armed with 2 spears and a sword.
   -1 spear for throwing- this spear would bend once it hit an enemy person or shield, which would encumber the enemy and also make it useless for them to pick it up and use again.
   -Swords were double edged and pointy, and could be used for either piercing or slashing.  This sword is similar to what would eventually become the infamous Roman gladius.
-Roman legions were so disciplined that this was arguably their biggest advantage- sometimes their army was actually much smaller than an enemy's.
   -It was like a cold, inhuman machine- they were never intimidated, and they almost never fled.
      -This isn't because the Romans were robots, but because they were harshly disciplined by their commanding officers
         -Punishments ranged from humiliation to public executions, but there were also lots of rewards!