Recruitment and identity in the Roman Army

Yes. You can check here for example the Bessi (Natione Bessus) inscriptions of their service in Roman empire:

They to have been stationed all over europe. Their cohorts show up in inscriptions in Rome, Iberia, Germany, British isles etc. And this is just one tribe:


https://edh-www.adw.uni-heidelberg.de/inschrift/suche?qs=bessu
 
Polibio: Total Regular and Reserve - 1st Period

Latins, Samnites, Japigi and Messapi, Lucani, Marsi, ...

... rounded up:
Infantry 700.000
Cavalry 70.000

afa688274bb397e4c8759dc78bdd9a7d.jpg


Roman Troop Statistic in the 1st Period.

Roman Troops Statistics + Reserves in the 1st Period and where the Soldiers came from:
(I translated this into English from old fashioned Italian, ...)

Roman Statistic

In Rome, a Corp of 20.000 Infantry and 1.500 Cavalry, sorted from Roman Citizens, and furthermore 30.000 foot soldiers, and 2.000 Cavalryman taken from the allies were kept ready.

The list of population and of recruitment provides:

Among the Latins, 80.000 Infantry, and 5.000 horses;

Within the Samnites 70.000 Infantry and 7.000 horses;

Within the Japigi and the Messapi, 50.000 men on foot and 16.000 Cavalry;

Within the Lucani 30.000 Infantry and 3.000 Cavalry;

Within the Marsi, the Marrucini, the Frentani, and the Vestini, 20.000 Infantry and 4.000 Cavalry.

Furthermore, The Romans had 2 Legions each of 4.200 Infantrymen and 200 Cavalry in Sicily and in Taranto.

Finally, listed as able for war in the population of Rome and the countryside, 250.000 men on foot and 23.000 Cavalry.

Total of the Military Forces available to the Romans:
Infantry 699.200
Cavalry 69.100

Polibio rounded up the number:
Infantry 700.000
Cavalry 70.000
..........
 
Polibio: Total Regular and Reserve - 1st Period

Latins, Samnites, Japigi and Messapi, Lucani, Marsi, ...

... rounded up:
Infantry 700.000
Cavalry 70.000

About what date is this, Salento?
 
Right before the Second Punic War (about 218 BC) (about 529 Roman years)

https://books.google.com/books?id=w...epage&q=polibio segna in numero tondo&f=false

Well, there you go. Long after the date of R850, and after the date of R437 as well.

So, Republican Roman armies already were manned during the Punic Wars at least partly by people genetically very much like you and Jovialis and my husband.

He always did have a fondness for Cato and his shouting of "Carthage Must Be Destroyed" even when debating building a new aqueduct. Maybe a memory in the blood. :)
 
Salento:

Well done, so the Roman Army had legions in Sicily at that time. Does that paper have any statistics on the Naval forces of Rome. While they did not have the reputation of the Roman Infantry and Calvary, they were still pretty good (at least it seemed so in the epic film Ben-Hur). My understanding is that the Ports in Marsala, Trapani became HQ for Rome's Southern Mediterranean Fleet.

Thanks again for that information.
 
... By 256 BC, Rome had built a navy of 330 ships ...
... operations in Sicily had to be supported by a fleet, and the ships available by Rome's allies were insufficient ...

... in 261 BC, the Roman Senate set out to construct a fleet of 100 quinqueremes and 20 triremes ...

According to Polybius, the Romans seized a shipwrecked Carthaginian quinquereme, and used it as a blueprint for their own ships ...


https://carolashby.com/the-roman-navy/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_navy
 
Salento: Ok, I will take a look at those sources. So I was in Trapani last Summer and went to Marsala and got a local book and one here in the States on the history of the region (Trapani) since my Paternal Great Grandfather and Grandmother came from regione di Trapani. Marsala in that book was talked about as being a port for Roman ships in the West Mediterranean Fleet. I read on the site about Marsala on wiki, in the 2nd Punic War at least 20 Ships were based in what the Romans called Lilybaeum defeated a force of 50 Carthaginian ships. I just can't find out how many Romans served on a ship. In addition to the Roman Infantry and Calvary presence in Sicily, there was a Naval one as well. 20 of 330 Roman ships would be 6% of the fleet based in Trapani.
 
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... By 256 BC, Rome had built a navy of 330 ships ...
... operations in Sicily had to be supported by a fleet, and the ships available by Rome's allies were insufficient ...

... in 261 BC, the Roman Senate set out to construct a fleet of 100 quinqueremes and 20 triremes ...

According to Polybius, the Romans seized a shipwrecked Carthaginian quinquereme, and used it as a blueprint for their own ships ...


https://carolashby.com/the-roman-navy/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_navy

Thanks

I always thought that Roman ships where designed after the Liburnian fleet ...........even though they ( Liburnians ) had smaller, faster and shallower draft ships
 

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