Roman army

Exercitus Romanus
Vexillum with the imperial aquila
Active753 BC – 1453 AD
CountryRoman Kingdom
Roman Republic
Roman Empire
Western Roman Empire
Byzantine Empire
Size28–50 legions
HeadquartersAquincum
Bonn
Lauriacum
Isca Augusta
Alexandria
Singara
Regensburg
Novae
Busra
Motto(s)'Gloria Exercitus'
EngagementsRoman–Gallic wars
Samnite Wars
Pyrrhic War
Punic War
Macedonian Wars
Jugurthine War
Mithridatic War
Gallic Wars
Roman civil wars
Roman invasion of Britain
Roman–Germanic wars
Domitian's Dacian War
Trajan's Dacian Wars
Roman–Parthian War of 58–63
Jewish–Roman wars
The Great Illyrian Revolt
Commanders
Commander-in-chiefEmperor
(de facto; 27 BC–1453 AD)
Consuls
(de jure; 27 BC–887 AD, 509 BC–27 BC)
King
(753 BC–509 BC)
Notable commandersMarcus Furius Camillus
Scipio Africanus
Gaius Marius
Julius Caesar
Germanicus
Flavius Stilicho
Flavius Belisarius
Coin showing (obverse) head of the late Roman emperor Julian (ruled 361–363 AD) wearing diadem and (reverse) soldier bearing standard holding kneeling barbarian captive by the hair, legend and Myth VIRTUS EXERCITUS ROMANORUM ('Valour of Roman army'). Gold solidus. Sirmium mint.

The Roman army (Latin: exercitus Romanus) was the armed forces deployed by the Romans throughout the duration of Ancient Rome, from the Roman Kingdom (753 BC–509 BC) to the Roman Republic (509 BC–27 BC) and the Roman Empire (27 BC–476 AD), and its medieval continuation, the Eastern Roman Empire. It is thus a term that may span approximately 2,206 years (753 BC–1453 AD), during which the Roman armed forces underwent numerous permutations in size, composition, organisation, equipment and tactics, while conserving a core of lasting traditions.[1][2][3]

  1. ^ The Complete Roman Army, Adrian Goldsworthy Thames & Hudson, 2011
  2. ^ Companion to the Roman Army, Paul Erdkamp, John Wiley & Sons, 31 March 2011
  3. ^ Southern, Pat (2007). The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-532878-3.