Introduction
The Roman army refers to the terrestrial armed forces used by the Roman Republic, Kingdom and Empire and its successor the Byzantine Empire. The army underwent numerous permutations in equipment, composition, tactics and organization while conserving the core of its lasting traditions. The soldiers of the Roman Empire volunteered for 25 years of service. The pervasiveness of the army during the reigns of the empire influenced assimilation or Romanization and cultural exchange within the scopes of religion, politics and economy. The number of the armed forced increased or decreased depending on the occurrence of a war. The Roman Empire arm comprised of the grounds army and Navy. This two armed forces provided supplies and transportation and provided protection to the populations.
During the Roman Empires, the armies played immense roles in facilitating the policies and wishes of the empires. The armies were extensively used to ensure that the populations conformed to empire agenda and followed empire rules. In case of discontent from the public, the empire applied the force of the armies to ensure conformity. The Roman military was always positioned strategically to serve the political system. In the empire, the social position and standings of an individual influenced his military and political roles. The political platform was based on the competitions between the elite ruling classes. Senators competed fiercely for military siding and public offices. The ruling class began tying the control of the army to personal, political ambitions. This led to the political triumvirate in the 1st century and the subsequent military resolution. As a result, the empire and republic increasingly became plagued with usurpations supported by the army, which led to crisis of the late empires. For instance, during the reign of King Servius Tullius, an individual’s wealth and social standing influenced his military and political roles. Therefore, a wealthy personal would receive votes and military influence than a poor person. Further politicization of the army involved the belonging of army officers from a class the rich man commanded. Despite social, structural changes, military commanders began processes of politicizing military commands. Military officers became equestrian individuals with numerous profitable posting. In addition, most of the political positions were given to military officers in order to show gratitude for service in the military. As a result, armies became tools and strategies for political goals instead of acting as neutrals for the populations. Therefore, what was the role of the armies in pushing or facilitating the politics of the Roman Empire?
This research will utilize primary and secondary resources to answer the question. The research will be based on qualitative studies from various books, articles and websites. The resources will be based on the Roman Empire history. The research will use fifteen resources acquired from a University library resource. These resources will include three primary sources, six secondary sources and an online resource. This will also include monographs, scholarly articles and texts.
Bibliography
Books
Blacklock, D. & Kennet, D. The Roman Army: The Legendary Soldiers Who Created An
Empire. Waljer And Company. New York. 2004. Page 48.
Bauer, S. The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion of Constantine To
The First Crusade. W.W. Norton. 2010. Page 746.
Carcopino, J. Rowell, H. & Lorimer, E. Daily Life in Ancient Rome: The People And The
City At The Height Of The Empire. 1940. Yale University Press.
Howatson, M. & Harvey, P. The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature. Oxford University
Press. 2nd Edition. New York. 1989.
Holmes, G. The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe. Oxford University Press. New
York. 1988.
Luttwak, E. The Grand Strategy of the Roman Empire from the First Century A.D. To
The 3rd Century. John Hopkins University Press. 1976. Page 255.
Starr, C. The Roman Empire, 27 B.C.-A.D. 476: A Study In Survival. Oxford University Press.
1982. Page 206.
Periodical Articles
Bishop, M. Journal Of Roman Military Equipment Studies. Volume 2. 1991. Page 12-19.
Becker, C. The Heavenly City of the 18th Century Philosophers. Yale University Press. 1932.
Page 112-131.
Dutton, D. & Arthur, R. The Coast Artillery Journal. Volume. 63, Number 2. 1925. Page 73-92.
Articles in a Larger Book
Abdy, Richard. The Coinage of the Later Roman Empire, A.D. 364-498. The Oxford Handbook
Of Greek And Roman Coinage. Metcalf, W. 2012. Page 421-554.
Frier, Bruce. Novel Evidence for Roman Slavery. Life, Death and Entertainment in the Roman
Empire. Mattingly, D. & Potter, D. Michigan. 2010. Page 72-115.
Ramsay, M. The War of Moslem and Christians for the Possession of Asia Minor. Studies In The
History And Art Of The Eastern Province Of The Roman Empire. Ramsay, William, Calder Margaret. Petrie, Alexander. & Callander, Thomas. 1906. Page 250.
Translated Articles
Diocletian Price Edict. How Prosperous Were The Romans? Evidence From Diocletian’s Price
Edict 301 A.D. Allen, Roberts. Oxford. 2007.
Website
Cavazzi, F. The Roman Army. 2012. Retrieved From < http://www.roman-
empire.net/army/army.html>
