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Information about Triarii

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This article is part of the series on: Military of ancient Rome ()
800 BC–AD 476
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The Triarii is a type of Roman legionary.

Origins

The Triarii (Latin singular triarius) was the third standard line of infantry of the Roman Republic's army and perhaps the greatest fighters pre-Republican generals had. Its name is related to the Latin word tres ("three"), ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *trei-. When suffering defeat, the first and second lines, the Hastati and Principes, fell back on the Triarii to attempt to reform the line and allow for a counter attack or withdrawal of the other lines. Because falling back on the Triarii was an act of desperation, to mention "falling on the Triarii" ("ad triarios rediisse") became a common Roman phrase indicating one to be in a desperate situation. To be the officer of the triarii was an honor. It made the individual one of the best men in the legion. A triarii officer's pay would be superior to the other middle-class officers and he would be given a horse for the long marches, which was quite important.

Unlike the Principes and Hastati, by the time of Polybius a legion contained only 600 Triarii. These were divided into 10 maniples of 60 men and each maniple was sub divided two centuries of 30 men. These units may originally have been larger. The Triarii were the veterans of the Roman army, making them perfectly suited for reinforcing the two front lines of the formation which were Hastati and Principes. They were armored much like the rest of the Roman Republican army, with whatever they could afford (typically more than the poorer Hastati and Principes).

When the Principes and Hastati of Republican army were rearmed with javelins, the Triarii retained their long spears and scuta and continued to fight as a phalanx. If the initial attacks of the javelin- and sword- armed troops could not break an enemy, the Triarii served as a strong point around which the army would regroup (in the same manner as in much later centuries squares of musketmen were to provide a defensive screen for reforming cavalrymen). They also were responsible for holding off cavalry charges with their spears. Although relatively often the Triarii were not deployed on the battlefield at all, but were left to guard the camp.

The term Triarii, together with the terms Principes and Hastati, survived into Imperial times, each denoting a third part of a cohort. However, by this time these names were merely honorific, the cohort being uniformly armed and equipped.

Notes

References

Primary sources

(none yet)

Secondary sources

  • Connolly, Peter (1998). Greece and Rome at War. London: Greenhill Books. ISBN 185367303X. 
  • Goldsworthy, Adrian (2003). The Complete Roman Army. London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-05124-0. 

External links

See also

Military of ancient Rome (Latin: militia) relates to the combined military forces of Ancient Rome from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD.
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The structural history of the Roman military describes the major chronological transformations in the organisation and constitution of ancient Rome's armed forces, "the most effective and long-lived military institution known to history".
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The Roman army was a set of land-based military forces employed by the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and later Roman Empire as part of the Roman military. For its main infantry constituent and for much of its history, see Roman legion; for a catalogue of individual legions, dates
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This is a list of both unit types and ranks of the Roman army from the Roman Republic to the fall of the Roman Empire. The distinction between rank and unit type doesn't seem to have been as precise as in a modern-day army, in which a solider has a
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This is a list of Roman legions, including key facts about each legion. This article primarily focuses on Principate (early Empire, 30BC - 284AD) legions, for which we have substantial literary, epigraphic and archaeological evidence.
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Auxiliaries (from Latin: auxilia = supports) formed the standing non-citizen corps of the Roman army of the Principate (30 BC - 284 AD), alongside the citizen legions.
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A

Manius Acilius Glabrio -- Manius Acilius Glabrio (consul 191 BC) -- Manius Acilius Glabrio (consul 91) -- Titus Aebutius Helva -- Aegidius -- Lucius Aemilius Barbula -- Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (triumvir) --
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The Roman Navy (Latin: Classis) operated between the First Punic War and the end of the Western Roman Empire.

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By period

Early Republic


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campaign history of the Roman military is the account of the Roman military's land battles, from its initial defence against and subsequent conquest of the city's hilltop neighbours in the Italian peninsula, to the ultimate struggle of the Western Roman Empire for its existence
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The following is a List of Roman wars fought by the ancient Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and Roman Empire, organized by date.

4th century BC

  • First Samnite War (343-341 BC)
  • Latin War (340-338 BC)
  • Second Samnite War (326-304 BC)

3rd century BC


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The following is a list of Roman Battles fought by the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic, the Roman Empire, and sometimes the Byzantine Empire, organized by date. The list is not exhaustive.
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As with most other military forces the Roman military adopted a "carrot and stick" approach to military, with an extensive list of decorations for military gallantry and likewise a range of punishments for military transgressions.
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The technology history of the Roman military covers the development of and application of technologies for use in the armies and navies of Rome from the Roman Republic to the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
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Roman military engineering (Praefectus fabrum)is a type of Roman engineering carried out by the Roman Army - almost exclusively by the Roman legions for the furthering of military objectives.
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castra,[1] with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean any building or plot of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position.
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Roman siege engines were, for the most part, adapted from Hellenistic siege technology. Relatively little was done on their part to develop the technology, however the Romans brought an unrelentingly aggressive style to siege warfare (Goldsworthy 2000: 144).
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List of ancient Roman triumphal arches

(By modern country)

France

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Germany

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Roman roads were essential for the growth of the Roman empire, by enabling the Romans to move armies. A proverb says that "all roads lead to Rome." At its peak, the Roman road system spanned 52,819 miles (85,004 km) and contained about 372 links.
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Roman military personal equipment was produced in large numbers to established cows and used in an established way. These standard patterns and uses were called the res militaris or disciplina.
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Rome's military was always tightly keyed to its political system. In the Roman kingdom the social standing of a person impacted both his political and military roles. The political system was from an early date based upon competition within the ruling elite.
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The strategy of the Roman Military encompasses its grand strategy (the arrangements made by the state to implement its political goals through a selection of military goals, a process of diplomacy backed by threat of military action, and a dedication to the military of part
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Roman infantry tactics refers to the theoretical and historical deployment, formation and maneuvers of the Roman infantry from the start of the Roman Republic to the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
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Roman military borders and fortifications were part of a grand strategy of territorial defense in the Roman Empire. By the early second century, the Roman Empire had reached the peak of its territorial expansion and rather than constantly expanding their borders as earlier in the
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Hadrian's Wall is a stone and turf fortification built by the Roman Empire across the width of modern-day England. It was the second of three such fortifications built across Great Britain, the first being Gask Ridge and the last the Antonine Wall.
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Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea.
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miles ("soldier") or legionarius in Latin, the Roman legionary was (usually) a Roman citizen under 45 years of age. The soldier enlisted in a legion for twenty-five years of service, a change from the early practice of enlisting only for the duration of a campaign.
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Infantry or footmen are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, bicycles, or other means.
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