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The structural history of the Roman military concerns the major transformations in the organization and constitution of ancient Rome's armed forces, "the most effective and long-lived military institution known to history."〔''Encyclopædia Britannica'', Eleventh Edition (1911), ''The Roman Army''〕 From its origins around 800 BC to its final dissolution in AD 476 with the demise of the Western Roman Empire, Rome's military organization underwent substantial structural change. At the highest level of structure, the forces were split into the Roman army and the Roman navy, although these two branches were less distinct than in many modern national defense forces. Within the top levels of both army and navy, structural changes occurred as a result of both positive military reform and organic structural evolution. These changes can be divided into four distinct phases. ;Phase I: The army was derived from obligatory annual military service levied on the citizenry, as part of their duty to the state. During this period, the Roman army would wage seasonal campaigns against largely local adversaries. ;Phase II: As the extent of the territories falling under Roman control expanded and the size of the forces increased, the soldiery gradually became salaried professionals. As a consequence, military service at the lower (non-salaried) levels became progressively longer-term. Roman military units of the period were largely homogeneous and highly regulated. The army consisted of units of citizen infantry known as legions (Latin: ''legiones'') as well as non-legionary allied troops known as ''auxilia''. The latter were most commonly called upon to provide light infantry, logistical, or cavalry support. ;Phase III: At the height of the Roman Empire's power, forces were tasked with manning and securing the borders of the vast provinces which had been brought under Roman control. Serious strategic threats were less common in this period and emphasis was placed on preserving gained territory. The army underwent changes in response to these new needs and became more dependent on fixed garrisons than on march-camps and continuous field operations. ;Phase IV: As Rome began to struggle to keep control over its sprawling territories, military service continued to be salaried and professional for Rome's regular troops. However, the trend of employing allied or mercenary elements was expanded to such an extent that these troops came to represent a substantial proportion of the armed forces. At the same time, the uniformity of structure found in Rome's earlier military disappeared. Soldiery of the era ranged from lightly armed mounted archers to heavy infantry, in regiments of varying size and quality. This was accompanied by a trend in the late empire of an increasing predominance of cavalry rather than infantry troops, as well as a requirement for more mobile operations. ==Tribal forces (c. 800 BC – c. 578 BC)== (詳細はLivy and Dionysius of Halicarnassus, writing at a far later date, the earliest Roman army existed in the 8th century BC. During this period Rome itself was probably little more than a fortified hilltop settlement and its army a relatively small force, whose activities were limited ''"mainly () raiding and cattle rustling with the occasional skirmish-like battle"''.〔Goldsworthy, ''In the Name of Rome'', p. 18〕 Historian Theodor Mommsen referred to it as Rome's ''curiate'' army, named for its presumed subdivision along the boundaries of Rome's three founding tribes (Latin: ''curiae''), the Ramnians, Tities and Luceres.〔Mommsen, ''The History of Rome'', Volume 1, p. 40〕 This army's exact structure is not known, but it is probable that it loosely resembled a warrior band or group of bodyguards led by a chieftain or king.〔Keppie, ''The Making of the Roman Army'', p. 14〕 Mommsen believes that Roman military organization of this period was regimented by the "Laws of (apocryphal ) King ()Italus"〔Mommsen, ''The History of Rome'', Volume 1, p. 22〕 but these laws, though referred to by Aristotle, have been lost. The army (Latin: ''legio'') consisted, according to Livy, of exactly 3,000 infantry and 300 horsemen, one third from each of Rome's three founding tribes.〔Grant, ''The History of Rome'', p. 22 * Boak, ''A History of Rome to 565 AD'', p. 69〕 Warriors served under six "leaders of division" (Latin: ''tribuni'') who in turn served under a general, usually in the person of the reigning King. Mommsen uses philological arguments and references from Livy and others to suggest that the greater mass of foot-soldiers probably consisted of ''pilumni'' (javelin-throwers), with a smaller number possibly serving as ''arquites'' (archers).〔Mommsen, ''The History of Rome'', Volume 1, p. 20〕 The cavalry was far smaller in number and probably consisted solely of the town's richest citizens.〔Boak, ''A History of Rome to 565 AD'', p. 69〕 The army may also have contained the earliest form of chariots,〔Boak, ''A History of Rome to 565 AD'', p. 86〕 hinted at by references to the ''flexuntes'' ("the wheelers").〔Mommsen, ''The History of Rome'', Volume 1, p. 65〕 By the beginning of the 7th century BC, the Iron-Age Etruscan civilization (Latin: ''Etrusci'') was dominant in the region.〔Livy, ''The Rise of Rome'', Book 5, chapter 33 * Pallottino, ''The Etruscans'', p. 68〕 Like most of the other peoples in the region, the Romans warred against the Etruscans. By the close of the century, the Romans had lost their struggle for independence, and the Etruscans had conquered Rome, establishing a military dictatorship, or kingdom, in the city. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Structural history of the Roman military」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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