The Roman Imperial Army

Preamble

The Roman Imperial Army is Vicendum’s oldest and best-respected battle unit. Much of its equipment has changed with the times, but the Imperial Army’s structure remains relatively unchanged since it was founded in the early days of the Roman Republic. Many of the old names- such as the names for the ships- have been retained even though they are not technically the same thing as in the ancient period (for example, the ancient trireme was a galley and the equite was a cavalry unit, but today the names have been affixed to their modern equivalents as destroyers and armoured units, respectively), due to a fierce Roman traditionalism in regards to defensive structure. This isn’t to say that the Army did not adapt: at first, the Army comprised of a single legion, then several as the Empire expanded. Then, at the time of Constantine, the small legions were consolidated into four larger “Armies” to better defend the frontiers, which survived until the time of the Mongol invasions of Europe. The Mongols- with their swift and small military units- forced the Romans to readopt the policy of small tactical units, a structure that has remained to today. The Avii- which literally means “birds”- is the Roman name for the Air Force and is a relatively new addition to the Roman Army, organized primarily for ground support and for first strike capability, similar in design to the German Blitzkrieg. Everything about the Imperial Army is catered towards the ground troops, as Roman military thinking since the ancient period has held that without control on the ground is to effectively not control the area at all.

On the offensive, the Roman style (as might be expected) favours a quick attack, and attempts to minimize damage to civilian installations. However, the Romans are not afraid to destroy a whole city if they feel that the whole city is against them, but in every case, the Romans rebuild the city they had just destroyed. Roman protocol has always been to allow the residents of the city to leave first before the bombardment, and employs a number of psychological tactics aimed at turning the city’s residents against their own government and into support for the Romans, which usually works since the Romans follow through on whatever they promise. The downside is that the strategy sometimes incurs huge rebuilding costs that drain the economy, on top of incurring the wraith of the local population who may not like the idea that their whole city was just levelled. This is why Rome does its best to ensure that civilian installations are left unscathed, and will only level a city as a last resort, meaning that a levelled city is very rare.

Defensively, the Romans leave the task to its dedicated missile defence system, but it will employ the same tactics it does on the attack as it does on defence- quick strikes with lots of movement. A quirk with Roman Imperial defence is that it will accept almost anything as collateral damage- it will try its best to avoid hitting its own targets, but if it has to (including civilian targets) then it will, if only to get rid of the enemy. The no-holds-barred military mindset gets increasingly costly, but it is extremely effective and is part of the reason for the immense respect the world has for the Roman Army. Several Roman citizens dislike the military mindset because of its destructiveness, but the vast majority of Romans care so deeply for the state that even among the Roman commoners there is a widespread belief that it is more honourable to die for the state than to capitulate to the enemy.

The main command centre for the Imperial Forces is at the capital in Rome, but areas designated as “Dominions”, the local Governor is in control of the local Legion, and, where applicable, the local Air Force and Classis. The catch is that at any time Rome can call on Dominion Armies for support, for which the Dominion must send its forces. This has been a rare occurrence, for oftentimes the local legions are capable enough to deal with the enemy threat and because of a Roman foreign policy that favours diplomacy over strong-arm tactics, leaving the Empire with few enemies.

Recruitment is through volunteers only, but because of the immense value the Romans have for the state, the Army never worries about membership. The Army is open to men and women over the age of 16, with a voluntary discharge at the age of 50 (however, one can go through yearly physicals following their 50^th birthday to stay in the Army longer). Positions start at “Gregalis” (or “Private”) and promotions are granted through performance only and not through age, however, a soldier can only be promoted once every six months. The chief position of the Roman Army is the Praetor Legatus (short form “Prl.”), which is the equivalent of “General” today (the “Consul Legatus” is the Minister of Defence). Because of the promotion system, the youngest the Prl. can be is 24, but because positions are held for life (subject to biannual performance reviews), the youngest any Praetor Legatus has been on record is 31 (the current Prl., Paullus Iusevius, is 43). A soldier moves up the ranks one at a time, and can only move into the leadership positions (Decurion or better) if there is an opening in those positions. Once that occurs, the soldier moves into the Decurion position with everyone else “bumped up” until each position is filled. No position is guaranteed, meaning that even the Prl. faces the possibility of being demoted all the way to Gregalis (Private) or even discharged completely, but for that to happen the situation had to have been drastic, such as the Prl. authorizing treason. Having said that, the Roman Army places a higher standard on long-time veterans than it does on rookies, because it believes that the longer one serves the better they should be because of experience, though this does not absolve rookie soldiers from every wrongdoing possible. Wages start at C10,000 a year, (US$100,000), and move up by C20,00 per rank (up to C340,000 (US$3.4 million) a year for the Praetor Legatus) making the Roman Army one of the best-paid positions in Rome, and the wages include many benefits such as a free education and health insurance (benefits that are only available to impoverished Romans), as well as a full pension. Auxiliary positions- such as on-field medics- make C50,000 a year, except for the Praetorian Guard who earn C100,000 a year, and enjoy all the benefits that soldiers receive. As far as armaments go, all Roman equipment is at the top of the line, with the Romans on the cutting edge of new military technology.

Having said all that, here is the overview of the Roman Imperial Army:

Roman Navy

Fleets (Classis): 10 (Mediterranean (Bastia, Corsica), Pacific West (Rapuul, New Britain Island), Pacific East (Esquimalt, Vancouver Island), Gulf Of Mexico West (Pilottown, Louisiana), Gulf Of Mexico East (Sanibel Island, Florida), Arctic (Helios Nord (Alert, Ellesmere Island)), Atlantic North (Suffolk County, Long Island), Atlantic South (Tristan Da Cunha Island) Indian Ocean (Classis Indianus, Socotra Island), South-East Asia (Rangoon, Burma))

Each Classis Contains:

-1 Esareme (Main Battleship, Aircraft Carrier) (Crew (ea.): 3000)

-1 Quinquereme (Artillery Ship and 2nd Battleship) (Crew (ea.): 700)

-9 Quadriremes (Cruiser) (Crew (ea.): 200)

-50 Triremes (Destroyers) (Crew (ea.): 100)

-11 Liburnians (Miniature Destroyers, First-Strike Attackers) (Crew (ea.): 50)

-5 Frigates (Convoy Ships) (Crew (ea.): 200)

-14 Submarines (2 Ballistic Missile Submarines, 2 Guided Missile Submarines, 10 Attack Submarines) (Crew (ea.): 100)

-20 Mini-Submarines (Crew: 50)

-2 Supply Ships (Crew (ea.): 100)

-2 Support Ships (Crew (ea.): 100)

-5 Anti-Mine Ships (Crew (ea.): 100)

-90 Logistical Ships:

(a)15 Large (Crew (ea.): 300)

(b)30 Medium (Crew (ea.): 150)

(c)45 Small (Crew (ea.): 100)

Total Personnel (Fleet): 28,850

Total Personnel (Total): 288,500

Roman Legion (Army)

Total Legions: 84, placed in various areas across the Empire. Main Command Centre: Rome.

Each Legion Contains:

1 Equite Division (Armoured Division)- 100 MBTs, 50 Assault Vehicles, 2050 Logistical Support Vehicles

1 Velite Division (Artillery Division)- 100 Rocket Launchers, 100 Anti-Aircraft Missile Launchers

Ground Troops Divided As Follows:

-10 Cohorts. 1 Cohort (2,000): 20 Centuries. 1 Century: 100.

-On the battlefield, the Cohorts are then organized along Maniples (lines), which consist of two centuries each per Cohort:

(a)Hastati (Front Line Ground Troops)

(b)Principes (Second Line Ground Troops)

(c)Triarii (Third Line Group Troops, Roman Elite Soldiers)

Total Soldiers:

-Machinery Personnel: 12,000 (Each Vehicle Contains 5 Crew, incl. Battlefield Logistical Personnel)

-Ground Troops: 20,000

-Total Forces (Legion): 32,000

-Total Forces (Army): 2,688,000

Roman Avii (Air Force)

Total Air Force Divisions (each labelled “Avis” (L. “bird”)): 100, stationed throughout the Empire. Main Command Centre: Rome.

Each Air Force Division Contains:

-500 Aquila Class Fighters

-3,000 Fulmini Class Stealth Bombers

-100 Falcone Class Fighter-Bombers

-200 Reconnaissance Aircraft

-200 Electronic Warfare Aircraft

-2 Airborne Early Warning Aircraft

-2 Transport Aircraft (Crew (ea.): 20)

-5 Tankers (Crew (ea.): 20)

-5 Attack Helicopters (Crew (ea.): 2)

Total Air Force Personnel (Division): 4,152

Total Air Force Personnel (Total): 415,200

Roman Auxiliary Forces

Siege Engine

(Total In Army: 50)

Each Siege Engine Unit Contains:

2 Equite Divisions

2 Velite Divisions

1 Equite Magnus (“Supertank”- combined strength and armaments of 10 tanks, including 10 Guided Missiles and 10 Ballistic Missiles and Anti-Missile Defence System. Speed: 10mph. Crew (ea.): 50)

1 Cohort

100 Specialized Battlefield Logistical Support Vehicles (Crew (ea.): 5)

Total Personnel (Unit): 26,550

Total Personnel (Army): 1,327,500

Air Cavalry

(Part of the Avii, one for each Legion and Siege Engine Unit)

(Total Units: 134)

Each Unit Contains:

-10 Air Cavalry Helicopters (Crew (ea.): 2)

-10 Air Cavalry Transport Aircraft (Crew (ea.): 5)

-100 Aquila Class Fighters

-20 Falcone Class Fighter-Bombers

-20 Reconnaissance Aircraft

-2 Airborne Early Warning Aircraft

-1 Tanker (Crew (ea.): 5)

-10 Attack Helicopter (Crew (ea.): 2)

Total Personnel (Unit): 219

Total Personnel (Total): 29,346

Praetorian Guard (The Emperor's Guard)

(Total Units: 1)

-1 Specialized Cohort

Total Personnel: 1,200

Roman Missile Defence System

Contains:

-5 Spy Satellites

-5 Radar Satellites

-12 Main Command Centres: Rome (Italy, Head Command Centre), Esquimalt (Vancouver Island), Phoenix (Arizona), Baton Rouge (Louisiana), Sabkhat (Arabia), Rapuul (New Britain), Helios Nord (Ellesmere Island), La Paz (Baja California), Buffalo (New York State), Orleans (Gaul), Rangoon (Burma), Belgrade (Serbia), Nicaea (Asia Minor) (Crew (ea.): 50)

Total Personnel: 600

100 SAM Missile Sites Each Containing:

-1 Command Centre (Crew (ea.): 100)

-10 Ground Radar Installations (Crew (ea.): 50)

-10 Ground Communication Systems (Crew (ea.): 50)

-600 ICBMS (2,000 Assorted WMD’s)

-1,000 Regional Ballistic Missiles

-1,000 Guided Missiles

Total Personnel: 110,000

Total Combat Personnel: 4,862,746

Logistical Personnel (incl. Maintenance, Factory and other Miscellaneous Workers): 48,627,460*

*Special Note: Roman Military Factories are combined in the works of other factories (e.g. a car plant will also make tanks)

Ranks In The Roman Army

(Organized in order of rank)

Senior Officers

• Praetor Legatus: The overall commander of the Roman Army. (General)

• Legatus Legionis: The overall Legionary commander. This post was generally appointed by the Emperor to a man who was a former Tribune and held command for 3 or 4 years, although could serve for a much longer period. In the Avii, this title is substitued for “Aquila Princeps”, or, literally, “First Eagle”. (Brigadier General)

• Tribunus Laticlavius: Serves as second in command of the legion, behind the Legate. (Senior Colonel)

• Praefectus Castrorum: The camp Prefect, and 3rd in overall command. (Colonel)

• Tribuni Angusticlavii: 2400 in total, these are the military tribunes of equestrian (knight) class citizens and operate the war machinery, such as the tanks. They were in many cases career officers and served many of the important administrative tasks of the Legion, but still served in a full tactical command function during engagements. (Lieutenant Colonel)

• Primus Pilus: The "First File" or "first spearman" was the commanding centurion of the first cohort and the senior centurion of the entire Legion. (Major)

Mid-Level Officers

• Primi Ordines: The 20 Centurions of the First Cohort, including the Primus Pilus. In the Classis, they lead the Quinquereme, while in the Avii they lead the the entire Division and fly the Early Warning Aircraft. (Senior Captain)

• The Pilus Prior: The 10 Centurions of the First Centuires of each of the 10 Cohorts were called Pilus Prior and were the most senior Centurion within their respective cohort. While the legion was in battle formation, the Pilus Prior was given command of the entire cohort, with each of the Centurions as his lieutenants. The Primus Pilus was also a Pilus Prior, only the most senior of all the Centurions within the Legions. In the Classis, they lead the Quadqueremes and in the Avii they are recognized as “senior Centurions”. (Lt. Major)

• Centurions: Each Legion has 200 centurions, one to command each century of the 10 cohorts. They were the backbone of the professional army and were the career soldiers who ran the day to day life of the soldiers as well as issuing commands in the field. Each Centurion is ranked from 1 to 20 within each Cohort, with the 1^st Centurion of the 1^st Cohort (the Primus Pilus) being the highest rank and the 20^th Centurion of the 10^th Cohort being the lowest. In the Avii, the Centurion is called “Centuriate Avis” and leads the a specific unit within Avii (such as all the Fighter-Bombers), with the same thing applying within the ships of the Classis, only that the Centurion here is named “Centuriate Oceanus”. (Captain)

Low-Level Commanding Officers

• Optio: One for each Centurion, they were appointed by the Centurion from within the ranks to act as his second in command. They are next up from the Tesserarius. (First Lieutenant)

• Tesserarius: (Guard Commander) One for each Century. They acted seconds to the Optios, and are “distinguished” Decurions. (Second Lieutenant)

• Decurion: In the Legion, they lead a Contubernium, or "Tent Group", of 10 men. Each Century has 10 of these. In the Classis and Avii, the Decurion leads a specialized segment within the ship or squadron, respectively (for example, this may be the “head computer technician” or the one that may be responsible for leading a team to clear out enemy tanks on the ground) (Sergeant)

Low-Level Service Officers

• Aquilifer: Next from Signifer, only they received the “Order of the Emperor” (a medal of honour containing the Emperor’s shield of the time) for “distinguished service on the field”. This is highest level a Roman soldier can achieve outside of the leadership positions, meaning that unlike this and the lower levels, admittance into the higher levels only arrives when there is an opening.

• Signifer: Next from Cornicen, only they received the Centurial Signum, or the insignia of their Century.

• Cornicen: (L., “horn blower”) Next from Imaginifer, only they received the Order of the Horn (a medal of honour containing the image of a horn, symbolizing the Cornicen’s original duty- since outdated- of relaying the commands on the field)

• Imaginifer: The next up from Gregalis, attained for “excellent service” on the field. The soldier received the Order of the Fasces (a medal of honour containing the image of the Fasces, or two arrows clashing against each other) upon promotion to this rank.

• Gregalis: This was the position one attained after gaining admittance into the Army and is the lowest position available. Most are rookie soldiers, but soldiers can be “demoted” to this position for infractions on the field.

(Source: Wikipedia)

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