Editing Legionary

{{Short description|Professional soldier of the Roman army}}

[[Image:Wells 0706 054.jpg|thumb|A recreation of Roman legionaries wearing the ''[[lorica segmentata]]'', 1st–3rd century. Other equipment in view include the ''[[galea (helmet)|galea]]'' (helmet), ''[[pilum]]'' (spear) and ''[[scutum]]'' (shield)]]
The [[ancient Rome|Roman]] '''legionary''' (in [[Latin]] ''legionarius''; {{plural form}}: ''legionarii'') was a [[citizen soldier]] of the [[Roman army]]. These soldiers would conquer and defend the territories of [[ancient Rome]] during the [[Crisis of the Roman Republic| Republic]] and [[Principate]] eras, alongside [[auxilia]]ry and [[Roman cavalry|cavalry]] detachments. At its height, Roman Legionnaires were viewed as the foremost fighting force in the Roman world, with commentators such as [[Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus|Vegetius]] praising their fighting effectiveness centuries after the classical Roman legionary disappeared.<ref name=":6" />

Roman legionnaires were recruited from [[Roman citizen]]s under age 45. They were first predominantly made up of recruits from [[Roman Italy]], but more were recruited from the provinces as time went on. As legionnaires moved into newly conquered provinces, they helped [[Romanization (cultural)|Romanize]] the native population and helped integrate the disparate regions of the [[Roman Empire]] into one polity. They enlisted in a [[Roman legion|legion]] for 25 years of service, a change from the early practice of enlisting only for a campaign. Legionnaires were expected to fight, but they also built much of the infrastructure of the Roman Empire and served as a policing force in the provinces. They built large [[public works]] projects, such as walls, bridges, and roads. The legionary's last five years of service were on lighter duties.<ref>{{Citation|last=TED-Ed|title=A day in the life of a Roman soldier – Robert Garland|date=2018-03-29|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5e7cl19Ha0|access-date=2018-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701041527/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5e7cl19Ha0|archive-date=2018-07-01|url-status=live}}</ref> Once retired, a Roman legionary received a parcel of land or its equivalent in money and often became a politically prominent member of society.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book|title=A companion to the Roman army|date=2007|publisher=Blackwell|others=Erdkamp, Paul|isbn=978-0470996577|location=Malden, MA|oclc=184983640}}</ref>

== History ==
=== Inception: Marius's reforms ===
{{excerpt|Marian reforms}}

=== During the Principate ===
As [[Augustus]] consolidated power in 27 BC and founded the [[Principate]], he further professionalized the Roman legionary and sought to break the legionary's dependence on his general. Under him, a legionary's term of service was raised to 25 years (before that, a legionary's average term of service was only 10 years) and pay was standardized throughout the legions. The Roman legionaries were also guaranteed a land grant or a cash payment at the end of his service, making the Roman legionary less dependent on generals for rewards after campaigns. Augustus also changed the ''[[Sacramentum (oath)|sacramentum]]'' so that soldiers swore allegiance only to the emperor, and not to the general. Thus, Augustus managed to end the civil wars which defined the late Roman Republic and created an army that was broadly loyal to only the emperor.<ref name=":7" />

Legionnaires would expand Rome's borders to include lower [[Britannia]], [[Dacia]], North Africa, and more through military campaigns under Augustus and future emperors.<ref name=":0" />

=== Decline ===
[[File:Victory of the Byzantines over the Bulgarians from John Skylitzes.jpg|thumb|[[Clibanarii|Clibinarii]], a type of heavy cavalry in the late Roman Empire, grew in prominence along with other forms of cavalry as the Roman legionary declined.]]From the reign of [[Septimius Severus|Septimus Severus]] onward, the Roman legionary gradually lost his preeminence. Though there were multiple causes for this decline, all pointed to the gradual degradation of loyalty and/or discipline. Septimus Severus, perhaps unwittingly, began this decline when he lavished his legionaries with [[Donativum|donatives]] and pay increases, recognising that they were his key to becoming and staying emperor. However, this proved detrimental to the discipline of the legionaries, as they began to expect more and more rewards from their emperors.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The late Roman army|last=R.|first=Dixon, Karen|date=2014|orig-year= 1996|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1134724222|location=Abingdon, Oxon|oclc=881839972}}</ref> Under [[Caracalla]], Septimus Severus's successor, all freedmen in the Roman Empire became [[Roman citizenship|Roman citizens]], effectively erasing the distinction between [[auxilia]]ries and legionnaires. This, coinciding with the continued expansion of the Roman army, meant recruits of more dubious standards joined the legions, decreasing the quality of the Roman legionary further.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Rocco|first=Marco|title=The reasons behind Constitutio Antoniniana and its effects on the Roman military|url=https://www.academia.edu/1775284|journal=Acta Classica Universitatis Scientiarum Debreceniensis|date=January 2010 |language=en|access-date=2019-04-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407103303/http://www.academia.edu/1775284/The_reasons_behind_Constitutio_Antoniniana_and_its_effects_on_the_Roman_military|archive-date=2018-04-07|url-status=live}}</ref>

During the [[Crisis of the Third Century|3rd Century Crisis]], a more mobile army became necessary, as threats arose across the long borders of the Roman Empire. As such, [[Roman cavalry|mounted cavalry]] became essential to respond to the varied challenges to the empire. Because of this, Roman heavy infantry faded further from dominance. By the 4th century, Roman infantry lacked much of the [[body armor]] of the classical legionary and used [[plumbata|darts]] rather than the ''[[Pilum|pila]]'' of their predecessors.<ref name=":0" />

== Functions ==
Though the legionary was first and foremost a soldier, he provided a variety of other critical functions. Lacking a professional [[Police|police force]], [[Roman governor|governors]] would use legionaries to keep the peace and protect critical facilities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.historytoday.com/rw-davies/police-work-roman-times|title=Police Work in Roman Times {{!}} History Today|website=www.historytoday.com|access-date=2018-07-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725220153/https://www.historytoday.com/rw-davies/police-work-roman-times|archive-date=2018-07-25|url-status=live}}</ref> As the Roman empire lacked a large [[Civil Administration|civil administration]], the army would often be given many administrative positions. High ranking soldiers often acted as judges in disputes among local populations and the army was an important component of tax collection.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|title=The Cambridge history of Greek and Roman warfare|date=2007|publisher=Cambridge University Press|others=Sabin, Philip A.G., Wees, Hans van., Whitby, Michael|isbn=978-0521857796|location=Cambridge|oclc=190966775}}</ref> Legionaries also served to spread Roman culture throughout the provinces where they were stationed. As legionaries settled in the provinces, towns sprang up around them, often becoming large cities. In this way, as legionaries co-mingled and intermarried with the local populace, they helped [[Romanization (cultural)|Romanize]] the provinces they protect.

Roman legionaries served as a source of labor and expertise as well. As such, much of the infrastructure which connected the empire was built by legionaries. Roads, canals, and bridges were built by legionaries as well as more defensive structures such as fortresses and walls.<ref name=":0" /> [[Hadrian's Wall|Hadrian's wall]], a monumental example of [[Roman engineering]], was built by the three legions stationed in the area.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hadrians-Wall|title=Hadrian's Wall {{!}} Roman wall, England|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=2018-07-25|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725215239/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hadrians-Wall|archive-date=2018-07-25|url-status=live}}</ref> Legionaries were not just limited to building large-scale engineering projects. Surveyors, doctors, artisans, and engineers within the army would be used for a variety of different civil services along with their normal military role.<ref name=":4" />

== ''Immunes'' ==
Regular trained legionaries were known as ''[[milites]]'' and were the equivalent in rank of the modern [[private (rank)|private]]. Included in the ranks, aside from the ''milites'', were the ''[[immunes]]'', specialist soldiers with secondary roles such as [[engineer]], artilleryman, drill and weapons instructor, [[carpenter]] and [[medic]]. These men were still fully trained legionaries, however, and would fight in the ranks if called upon. They were excused from some of the more arduous tasks such as drill and fatigues and received better pay than their comrades in arms.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://history-world.org/roman_army.htm|title=Rome, The Roman Army|website=history-world.org|access-date=2018-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180603205504/http://history-world.org/roman_army.htm|archive-date=2018-06-03|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

== Recruitment ==
Though Roman legionaries were predominantly made up of volunteer citizens, [[conscription]] of recruits continued through [[Roman Republic|Republic]] era and into the [[Principate]], especially in times of crisis. This meant that levees remained a significant part of the Roman legions.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|title=A companion to the Roman Empire|date=2006|publisher=Blackwell Pub|others=Potter, D. S. (David Stone)|isbn=0631226443|location=Malden, MA|oclc=60550606}}</ref> With the state providing the equipment to the recruits and no property requirements, even the poorest Roman citizens were able to join the legions. However, the army was viewed as an honorable and valued profession. With a steady pay, good retirement benefits, and even certain legal advantages, a legionary had many perks that common citizens found desirable. As such, though poor citizens could join the military, members from across the ''[[Plebs|plebeian]]'' class were found in the Roman legions. Indeed, the army served as one of the few avenues of upward mobility in the Roman world.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Invisible Romans|last=C.|first=Knapp, Robert|isbn=978-0674063280|edition= First Harvard University press |location=Cambridge|oclc=767736175|date = 2011}}</ref>

The army actively sought out recruits with useful skills such as smiths, carpenters, and butchers. Though not required, literacy was useful since promotion to higher ranks such as ''[[centurion]]'' required a knowledge of writing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://u.osu.edu/marduburn/|title=The Marian Reforms {{!}} The turning point in Roman history|website=u.osu.edu|language=en-US|access-date=2018-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709065343/https://u.osu.edu/marduburn/|archive-date=2018-07-09|url-status=live}}</ref> During the Later Republic, Roman legionaries predominantly came from the areas surrounding Rome. However, as Rome expanded, recruits began to come from other areas in Italy. Slowly, recruits came from the regions where the legions were stationed rather than from Italy itself. By the reign of [[Trajan]], there were 4–5 legionaries originating from the [[Roman province|provinces]] for every legionary originating from Italy.<ref name=":3" />

== Equipment ==
{{Main|Roman military personal equipment}}
[[File:046 Conrad Cichorius, Die Reliefs der Traianssäule, Tafel XLVI (Ausschnitt 01).jpg|thumb|left|Relief from [[Trajan's Column]] showing a legionary with ''[[lorica segmentata]]'' manning a ''[[carroballista]]'']]
When on the march in hostile territory, the legionary would carry or wear full [[armour]], supplies and equipment. This commonly consisted of chain (''[[lorica hamata]])'', scaled (''[[lorica squamata]])'', or in the 1st–3rd century sectioned (''[[lorica segmentata]])'' armour, [[shield]] (''[[scutum (shield)|scutum]]''), [[helmet]] (''[[galea (helmet)|galea]]''), two [[Javelin (weapon)|javelin]]s (one heavy ''[[pilum]]'' and one light ''[[verutum]]''), a [[short sword]] (''[[gladius]]''), a [[dagger]] (''[[pugio]]''), a belt (''balteus''), a pair of heavy [[Sandal (footwear)|sandal]]s (''[[caligae]]''), a pair of [[greave]]s, a pair of [[Manica (armguard)|manicas]], a marching pack (''[[sarcina]]''), about fourteen days' worth of food, a [[waterskin]] (bladder for ''[[posca]]''), cooking equipment, two [[Sudis (stake)|stakes]] (''sudes murale'') for the construction of [[palisade]]s, a [[shovel]], and a [[wicker]] [[basket]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|title=Roman legionary : 58 BC – AD 69|last=Ross.|first=Cowan|date=2003|publisher=Osprey|others=McBride, Angus.|isbn=1841766003|location=Oxford|oclc=52661320}}</ref>

After the military reforms of Emperor Claudius (circa 41 AD), each legion would also be requisitioned a certain number of artillery pieces. Each [[Cohort (military unit)|cohort]] (roughly 480 men) would receive one [[ballista]] and each ''[[centuria]]'' (roughly 100 men) would receive one [[carroballista]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Thomas|first=Chris|date=2004|title=Claudius and the Roman Army Reforms|journal=Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte|volume=53|issue=4|pages=424–452|jstor=4436742}}</ref> In a standard legionary formation of ten cohorts and sixty centuriae, a legion would be equipped with ten ballistae and sixty carroballistae.

== Battle and combat ==
{{Main|Roman infantry tactics}}
[[File:200910311244MEZ Saalburg-Museum, CIL XIII 07574, Aquae Mattiacorum.jpg|thumb|Gravestone of a legionary]]

=== Maintaining morale ===
The Roman legionary fought first and foremost with his ''[[Contubernium (Roman army unit)|contubernium]]'', the basic eight man unit of the Roman army.<ref>{{Citation |last=ISO Design |title=Roman Army Structure {{!}} Vindolanda Museum |date=2016-10-26 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcbedan5R1s |access-date=2018-07-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181211124702/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcbedan5R1s |archive-date=2018-12-11 |url-status=live }}</ref> The men of the same ''contubernium'' fought, slept, ate, and trained together. This strong sense of [[camaraderie]] gave Roman legionaries a sense of pride and kept them fighting on the battlefield. The standard bearers, ''[[signiferi]]'', were of great importance in keeping Roman soldiers in the battle. The loss of a [[Aquila (Roman)|standard]] was a disgrace to the ''centuria'' the standard belonged to. As such, standard bearers served as someone to rally around and as someone to exhort legionaries to battle.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

''[[Optio]]nes'', Roman officers at the rear of a formation, had many essential roles outside of battle. However, during battle, their task was to prevent legionaries from routing. Carrying a staff with a ball-end, an ''optio'' would force legionaries fleeing from battle back into formation. Leading at the front, ''[[centurion]]s'' would fight alongside legionaries under their command, serving as a role model for his legionaries to remain in combat.<ref name=":5" />

Finally, there were the [[Roman military decorations and punishments|rewards and punishments]], which served as both incentives and deterrents for legionaries in battle. For example, the highly coveted ''[[Civic Crown|corona civica]]'' was given to legionaries who saved a comrade in battle.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://museum.classics.cam.ac.uk/collections/casts/augustus-wearing-corona-civica |title=Augustus wearing the Corona Civica {{!}} Museum of Classical Archaeology Databases |website=museum.classics.cam.ac.uk |access-date=2018-07-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731062213/http://museum.classics.cam.ac.uk/collections/casts/augustus-wearing-corona-civica |archive-date=2018-07-31 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, death was the punishment for a variety of different offenses. Those who committed cowardice and [[dereliction of duty]] were [[Stoning|stoned]] to death by their comrades. On very rare occasions when a whole unit displayed cowardice, the unit might be [[Decimation (Roman army)|decimated]], in which one out of every ten soldiers were executed. Less extreme punishments included demotions, changing the wheat rations to barley, and the removal of some identifying military gear.<ref name=":0" />

=== Prelude to battle ===
Large armies would generally not begin battle immediately upon meeting. Rather, days or even weeks of redeployment and negotiation would take place before battle. Several days of maneuvering occurred before the [[Battle of Pharsalus]] began.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Pharsalus|title=Battle of Pharsalus {{!}} Summary|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=2018-07-31|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731062600/https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Pharsalus|archive-date=2018-07-31|url-status=live}}</ref> Before battle, measures were taken to ensure legionaries were as effective as possible. These included giving legionaries their meals and resting them before the battle.<ref name=":2" /> Their commanders and general would also give speeches during this time. These speeches would heavily emphasize the amount of plunder and riches that winning the battle would give the legionaries, as this was a primary incentive for the legionaries to do battle. Light skirmishing would then take place, with cavalry and [[auxilia]]ries probing enemy lines before a pitched battle commenced.<ref name=":5" />

=== Fighting style ===
[[File:Scutum 1.jpg|thumb|The Roman scutum ranged all the way from flat and oval to curved and rectangular as shown in the image above. The metal boss in all Roman scuta gave them an offensive capability.]]
The Roman legionary's three principal weapons were the ''[[pilum]]'' (javelin), ''[[Scutum (shield)|scutum]]'' (shield), and ''[[gladius]]'' (short sword). Ideally, the legionaries would throw their ''pila'' first as they approached the enemy army. These pila could often penetrate enemy [[shield]]s and hit the soldiers behind them.<ref name=":6" /> Even if the pila failed to pierce the shields, the neck of the javelin would bend, making the shield useless. This then made the enemy vulnerable to missile fire and legionary attack. The disruption and damage wrought by pila would then be followed by the [[Charge (warfare)|charge]] of Roman legionaries.<ref name=":0" />

Though Roman ''scutum'' had various different designs, they all shared a large metal boss in the center of the shield. This allowed the legionary to not only use the ''scutum'' as defensive equipment but also as an offensive weapon. Legionaries would have used this iron boss to punch and shove the enemy combatants.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.military-history.org/articles/roman-legionary-profile.htm|title=Roman legionary – Soldier Profile|date=2010-11-10|work=Military History Monthly|access-date=2018-07-31|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731093210/https://www.military-history.org/articles/roman-legionary-profile.htm|archive-date=2018-07-31|url-status=live}}</ref> Accompanying this was the ''gladius'', a primarily stabbing weapon though it could also be used to cut. These fairly simple tools combined with impressive discipline made the Roman legionary an extremely effective soldier in the ancient world.<ref name=":0" />

Though there were many different formations that legionaries fought in, they tended toward close, ordered formations with gaps between formations. These gaps would allow for reserve units to enter battle or serve as avenues for [[skirmishing]] forces to retreat back behind the legionaries. During lulls in the battle, wounded soldiers could further be taken back behind battle lines through these gaps.<ref name=":5" />

== Pay and conditions ==
{{see also|Legionary denarii (Mark Antony)}}
During the [[Pax Romana]], a rank-and-file Roman legionary would be paid 225 [[Denarius|denarii]] per year. This was increased to 300 denarii during the reign of [[Domitian]]. However, during the third century crisis, inflation and chaos disrupted a legionary's pay, with emperors often letting legionaries seize goods from civilians. Their income was supplemented by [[Donativum|donatives]] from emperors either to secure a legion's loyalty or to award them after a successful campaign.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Roman Empire|first=Nigel|last=Rodgers|date=2006|publisher=Lorenz Books|others=Dodge, Hazel.|isbn=0754816028|location=London|oclc=62177842}}</ref> Plunder and loot also supplement a legionary's income and is used as a large incentive for soldiers to follow their emperor in campaigns. At the end of their years of service, Roman legionaries received a small allotment of land or a monetary equivalent.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Ancient Rome: A Complete History of the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire|last=Rodgers|first=Nigel|publisher=Southwater|year=2013|isbn=978-1844778591}}</ref>

As the Roman empire solidified, permanent [[Castra|legionary fortresses]] were constructed and many grew into towns. These fortresses contained [[Public bathing|bathhouses]], taverns, and even [[Roman amphitheatre|amphitheaters]] where festivals and animal displays were held. However, legionaries were not allowed to legally marry until the reign of [[Septimius Severus]] (though their spouses were often recognized), most likely because of the implicit necessity to care for the widow in the event of a legionary's death.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Septimius-Severus|title=Septimius Severus {{!}} Roman emperor|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=2018-07-04|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705010815/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Septimius-Severus|archive-date=2018-07-05|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Training and discipline ===
When first enlisted, a fresh Roman recruit (''tiro'') was not given real weapons to train with. Instead, he was given wooden swords and shields designed to be twice the weight of their counterparts in battle. This allowed the recruit to develop strength as he trained with these wooden weapons. Alongside battle training, the recruit was also taught other necessary skills such as swimming and setting up camp.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=http://www.digitalattic.org/home/war/vegetius/index.php#b107|title=The Military Institutions of the Romans (De Re Militari)|last=Brevik|first=Mads|website=www.digitalattic.org|access-date=2018-07-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705033341/http://www.digitalattic.org/home/war/vegetius/index.php#b107|archive-date=2018-07-05|url-status=live}}</ref> Most of all, however, the recruit was taught discipline, and was drilled twice a day during his training period. After this period, which could last up to six months, the recruit would become a ''milite'' and sent to his respective legion.<ref name=":0" />

The Roman soldier underwent especially rigorous training throughout his military career; [[discipline]] was the base of the army's success, and the soldiers were relentlessly and constantly trained with weapons and especially with [[Parade (military)|drill]]—forced marches with full load and in tight formation were frequent. As discipline was important, infractions were heavily punished by the [[centurion]]s. Punishments could range from being obliged to spend the night outside the protective security of a fortified camp, through being beaten with clubs (''[[fustuarium]]''—a common punishment for 'slowpokes' during long marches), to the stoning of individuals or unit executions involving [[Decimation (Roman Army)|decimation]]. However, honors, rewards, and promotions were frequently awarded to legionaries who distinguished themselves in [[battle]] or through exemplary service.<ref name=":0" />

One of the goals for strong disciplinary training was to expel fear from a Roman soldier. Fear, and the panic that often follows, is a devastating force to an army on the battlefield. The Romans aimed to remove fear through strict physical and mental training.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Stout|first=S. E.|date=1921|title=Training Soldiers for the Roman Legion|journal=The Classical Journal|volume=16|issue=7|pages=423–431|jstor=3288082}}</ref> However, a different fear was used to motivate a soldier in spite of the fear of battle; that was the fear of harsh punishment by their commanding officers. In the words of [[Josephus]] "they are moreover hardened for war by fear; for their laws inflict capital punishments, not only for soldiers running away from the ranks, but for slothfulness and inactivity".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2850/2850-h/2850-h.htm#link32HCH0005|title=The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem|last=Josephus|first=Flavius|date=2009|website=Project Gutenberg|access-date=April 3, 2020|translator-first=William|translator-last=Whiston}}</ref>

=== Diet ===
A Roman legionary had two or three meals per day: The ''prandium'' (breakfast) and the ''[[cena]]'' (dinner). For these meals, the soldiers were issued regular rations consisting mainly of wheat, which composed roughly 60–70% of a soldier's total rations.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=The logistics of the Roman army at war (264 B.C.-A.D. 235) |last=Roth |first=Jonathan P.|date=1999|publisher=Brill|isbn=9004112715|location=Leiden|oclc=39778767}}</ref> This would be consumed in the form of either bread or porridge. However, while on campaign, the soldiers would cook their wheat rations into [[hardtack]], a long-lasting biscuit.<ref name=":0" />

Supplementing the soldier's wheat rations was the ''cibaria'', rations other than grain. This included a variety of foodstuffs but mainly [[Ancient Rome and wine|wine]], vinegar, vegetables (largely beans or lentils), salt, [[Salt pork|salt-pork]], cheese, and [[olive oil]]. However, this did not include fruit. Through foraging, trade with merchants, requisitioning, or raiding during campaigns, the Roman legionary could obtain other foodstuffs not included in his rations. In combination, the average soldier's diet was generally nutritious and filling.<ref name=":2" />

=== Healthcare ===
Permanent Roman forts would contain hospitals, where doctors (''[[Medicine in ancient Rome|medici]]'') operated on wounded, injured, or sick legionaries.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Roman_Fort/|title=Roman Fort|encyclopedia=[[World History Encyclopedia]]|access-date=2018-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624175513/https://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Fort/|archive-date=2018-06-24|url-status=live}}</ref> These medical personnel also isolated sick soldiers, thereby reducing the chance of a possibly infectious disease spreading through the army. Roman forts and camps were also planned in such a way as to minimize the spread of [[Waterborne diseases|water-borne illnesses]], which ravaged many ancient armies. Engineers took special care in piping fresh water to the camps and carrying sewage downstream of any watering places.<ref name=":1" /> Those legionaries who were seriously and permanently wounded or injured would be granted ''missio causaria'', or a [[Military discharge|medical discharge]]. This discharge would come with many benefits including exemption from some taxes and some civic duties.

== Other legionaries ==
''Legionary'' is also a term used for members of various military forces which have been accorded the title of "legion", although bearing no resemblance to the heavy infantry of ancient Rome. In the 18th and early 19th century this designation was sometimes accorded to units which comprised both mounted and foot components. More recently the title has been used by the French [[French Foreign Legion|Foreign Legion]], the [[Spanish Legion|Spanish Foreign Legion]] and the [[Polish Legions (disambiguation)|Polish Legions]]. Members of these modern legions are often called [[Legionnaire|''légionnaires'']], the French term for legionary.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

The term was also used by the [[Romania]]n [[far right]] [[paramilitary]] group known in English as the [[Iron Guard]].{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

==See also==
* [[Castra]]
* [[Comitatenses]]
* [[Limitanei]]
* [[List of Roman army unit types]]
* [[List of Roman legions]]
* [[Military history of ancient Rome]]
* [[Legionnaire (disambiguation)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
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* {{cite book |last=Keaveney |first=Arthur |title=The army in the Roman revolution |year=2007 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-39486-4 }}
*Palao Vicente, J.J. "La muerte del soldado romano en la epigrafía del occidente del imperio (siglos I-III d.C.)". En: Perea Yébenes (ed.), El soldado romano y la muerte. Madrid : UNED, 2022. pp.&nbsp;79–134. ISBN 9788436278514
* {{Cite journal |last=Probst |first=Peter |year=2008 |title=Review of "The army in the Roman revolution" |url=https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2008/2008.07.52/ |journal=Bryn Mawr Classical Review |issn=1055-7660 }}
* {{Cite journal |last=Rafferty |first=David |year=2021 |title=Review of "L'armée imaginaire: les soldats prolétaires dans les légions romaines au dernier siècle de la République" |url=https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2021/2021.06.02/ |journal=Bryn Mawr Classical Review |issn=1055-7660}}
* {{cite book |last=Scullard |first=H H |title=From the Gracchi to Nero: a history of Rome from 133 BC to AD 68 |year=2011 |orig-year=First published by Methuen & Co, 1959 |publisher=Routledge Classics |location=London and New York |isbn=978-0-415-58488-3 }}
* {{Cite journal |last=Taylor |first=Michael J |date=2019 |title=Tactical reform in the late Roman republic: the view from Italy |url=https://biblioscout.net/article/10.25162/historia-2019-0004 |journal=Historia |volume=68 |issue=1 |pages=76–94 |doi=10.25162/historia-2019-0004 |s2cid=165437350 |issn=0018-2311|url-access=subscription }}

===General books===
* Sumner, G. and Raffaele D'Amato. ''Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Soldier''. Frontline Books, 2009.
* Watson, G.R. ''The Roman Soldier''. Cornell University Press, 1993.

===Other books===
* Matyszak, Philip. ''Legionary: the Roman soldier's (unofficial) manual''. Thames & Hudson, 2009.
* Cowan, Ross, and Angus McBride. ''Roman Legionary: 58 BC – AD 69''. Osprey Publishing, 2003.

==External links==
* [http://www.romanrecruit.weebly.com The Roman Recruit] looks at the life, duties and equipment of a Roman legionary (c. 200AD)

[[Category:Mercenary units and formations of antiquity]]
[[Category:Military ranks of ancient Rome]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of the Byzantine Empire]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of the Hellenistic world]]
[[Category:Types of cavalry unit in the army of ancient Rome]]