The Roman military in the time of the Punic Wars was composed of Roman citizens. The Roman soldiers were well trained and well disciplined. The infantry were by far the most important arm of the Roman military and comprised the majority of the principal fighting formation, the legion. A typical legion consisted of anywhere from 4,200 to 5,200 men, depending on whether or not it was at full strength. The legion had been developed from the Greek phalanx into a more flexible formation that was better able to maneuver over broken ground. The legion was organized into twelve rows of ten men each, followed by another twelve rows of ten men each, arranged in a checkerboard pattern. This allowed the soldiers to advance or withdraw without the need for complex maneuvering (Bagnall 23).

A legionary's basic equipment consisted of armor, a shield, a short thrusting sword (gladius) and a medium length throwing spear or javelin (pilum). The gladius fit into the Roman style of warfare. The

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Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)