Military Reforms of Augustus 

Join the legions of Augustus! bit.ly/2GFCuFE One of the team members is sick, so, no battle episode this Sunday. There will be a double-battle week sometime in Late March/Early April. Consider supporting us by joining our patreon: www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals - that is the best way to learn about the schedule, get the early access to our videos, participate in the voting and become part of our discord server.

One of the things I barely even thought of before I began researching this was the power of identity. Just imagine if you had to fight for your country, and your family, and your friends perished for it. Then imagine that in recognition for these losses of your comrades and loved ones, a name was granted to your military unit. It is no surprise that the Roman Legions were stubborn in giving up their hard-earned legionary consciousness.

“My father died on this floor...right there, stabbed 27 times butchered by men he called his friends....who will tell me that’s not murder, who will tell my LEGIONS that’s not murder who loved Caesar as I did”

His reign was particularly important for Hispania and the integration of that region into the Roman Empire. The Cantabrian Wars, in which Augustus briefly participated, also influenced in the military, for instance in the Cantabri Circle tactic.

It's amazing just how complex and sophisticated the Roman military structure was. In a way they have more in common with our modern armies than other armies in the ancient or medieval eras.

I ran straight back from Moscow when this appeared in my letterbox.

Must be fun imagining Roman soldiers finding where they should pitch their tents "3rd Cohort will pitch at Section 14A!" "Jupiter's balls! Not beside the hospital again!"

The city I'm currently studying in Manchester in North West England, was originally called Mamucium by the Roman commander who set up shop here. This is because it's situated on two hills he decided look like boobs. He called it boob looking hills

My Hometown Günzburg was first mentioned at 77 BC as a Roman fort and was known as Transitus Guntiensis. It was probably a strategic point at the Danube and the fort become to the city today.

Having a bad day, but a video from Kings and Generals always cheers you up :)

Now that I look at the diagram. I don't think Claviculae's only affect is to force the sword arm, since it only works in one direction (the right side, assuming right-handedness). If you go from the left side, the shield arm still face the rampart. I believe the other effect of Claviculae is to reduce push from effect the storming warriors, as only a limited number of warriors is at the front gate to push direct inside, while the troops from the side will push at angle, which adds much less push effect. This makes the fort defensible even though the defense has smaller force.

11:30 "Fossa" is still the Portuguese word for ditch; the Portuguese word for mayor is "prefeito", from "praefectus"; the amount of space or time between two objects or events is an "intervalo", from "intervallum". We can still easily grasp the meaning of many latin terms.

I just love how the Roman empire just gets someone like Marius and Augustus at the right time

Imagnifer is definitely the best job. Your entire purpose is to carry a cast or sculpture of a man's face on the end a big ass stick because its 2000 years in the past and no one had photographs and painting in the woods was impractical and expensive.

"Legatus Legionis Latinized to Legate" I think you mean Anglicized......

6:40 - Here in the Iberian Peninsula throughout most of the Empire only one Legion had permanent quarters, and it was the Legio VII Gemina (not mentioned here as one of the Gemina legions). It was based in modern day Léon, which name comes precisely from LEGIO, or Castra Legionis. This location was strategic to guard the last territories to fell under Roman control - notably Cantábria and its dreadful war that needed Augustus' intervention himself - but also the rich mining territories around, such as the gold mines of Las Médulas (Spain) and Tresminas (Portugal). As testimonial here in my region, there are in Trajan's Bridge in Chaves (Portugal), two columns that mentions this Legion's presence in the territory and its intervention in the building of the bridge.

This is the most informative historical and war tactical youtube channel, provides accurate information and in a interesting way. Thank you for your efforts in making these videos, i cant express my gratitude.

Can you make a video about late roman and byzantine army ? Sometimes they are overlooked compared to the early roman empire army

These are honestly some of the best content I’ve ever seen on RU-vid.

"Our Roman army series will continue all the way to 1453, so subscribe and press the bell..." If only I could do that more than once.

I have watched SOOOOOO many of your videos because I love the content and it's delivery. Could you please do a video on Augustus' right hand man, Marcus Agrippa. I feel if it were not for him, we wouldn't even know the first emperor as we do today. Agrippa captured the victories that eternalized Octavian.

Caesar stabbed 27 times, in 27 BC Augustus founded the Roman Empire

The reforms of Camillus, Marian and Augustus inspired the 16th century Maurice of Nassau's military reforms that later led to the military revolution in Europe .

I did a tad bit of number crunching, and the average legionary camp would have had just shy of 700 tents. 640 just for the rank and file legionaries who were 8 to a tent, most of the senior officers would have had their own tents, and then the lower Centurions and Optios would have likely been 4-6 to a tent. toss in a few extra tents for supplies and store and thats around 700 tents for a legion. Now imagine multiple legions on campaign. I imagine some poor freedmans entire job was just procuring tarps, twine, and tent pegs.

Like always! amazing and incredible video. Is just amazing how advance the roman empire was at the time, standardizing stuff, it just incredible

The military effectiveness really was the back bone of the Roman Empire. Another great video!

Fantastic video really well explained. I love the style of these videos, I really think I have learned more from the videos on this channel than documentary's on the History Channel. Great work!

I'd love a video about Vindobona (modern day Vienna, Austria) sometime. Not because of it being a historically meaningful topic, just because I love Vienna. There's a street named after Marcus Aurelius there too, and some pretty sweet old Roman ruins on display downtown next to the Hofburg Hapsburg palace.

Great video, as usually. It´d be nice a video entirely about roman forts. How they were built so rapidly, defensive devices and so on.

12:20 I like how each man knew where to pitch his tent.

Who the heck could possibly dislike this wonderful educational tool.....seriously!

Came so fast I arrived to Athens before Pheidippides

Last Time I Came This Early, Augustus wanted his Legions back.

Unit numbers of 80, 512, 768... Whew. You really gotta appreciate Modu Shanyu's system of 10s. Great video by the way. Would really like a video on Roman towns, castles etc.

I live in Narbonne, the "second Rome" , founded in 118.BC and home of the glorious Legion X "Equestris", one of Julius Caesar's favorite

*_THIRTEEN!!!_*

Outstanding work guys. Keep it up. Enjoyed every minute of it.

The ditch around the Roman camp was called the Vallum, where the English word of wall comes from.

Romans are one of kind. The more I learn about them, the more I'm sure of their uniqueness.

Great in depth analysis. Good work. 👍🏼

Very informative and concise, Awesome! Would love to see the breakdown of military composition and tactics of the Asiatic horsemen AKA Mongols

Veni, Vidi, Vici. Romam de honore et gloria. Nothing better then a Roman or Napoleonic video, keep up this excellent work

*I NEVER CLICK THIS FASTER THAN BUILDING A HUGE ROMAN EMPIRE*

I always wait for your video n every time u release i again wait for your another video because your every video is amazing

Good work Fellas, so much info and well done. Nice finding out why the numbers changed throughout time. Thx!

I got to say the unit spawn sound queue used at 9:10 from age of empires 1 was a very nice touch to this video.

I would like to see a video about the Celtiberians, one of the most unsung badasses of antiquity, Carthage never managed to completely subdue them, they formed a part of the army which under Hannibal terrorized Rome for the better part of two decades, they repelled the same german army of Cimbri and Teutones that had just inflicted Rome its most destructive defeat since Cannae, they also formed the core of Sertorious' guerilla and it took Rome almost two centuries to completely conquer them, the last campaigns, called the Cantabrian wars being were bloody, brutal and grinding and required 8 legions and almost ten years to complete during the early part of Augustus reign.

Good old Octavian.

The Marian Legions were not quite logistically self sufficient. The post Marian army still used baggage trains and needed one pack animal for every 10 men. Marius' requirement of having every soldier carry his own equipment and 2 weeks worth of grain made the baggage train smaller, but they stilled relied on the baggage train. IIRC, Marius' mules was also a pejorative because his army initially didn't have enough money to purchase sufficient pack animals. Later on when money was no longer a concern, the army used more pack animals.

Augustus' adminstrative reforms were also of paramount importance. Augustus was not only a military genius, but also one of the most capable administrators of the ancient world. The Princeps Senatvs e and the Princeps Civitatis ( Augustus), for exemple, divided Italy in 11 regions ( for the first time in history until that moment). • Regio I Latium et Campania ( which included the present-day Italian regions of Lazio and Campania). • Regio II Apulia et Calabria ( the current Puglia, part of Molise, the eastern part of Basilicata, and the province of Avellino in Campania). • Regio III Lucania et Bruttium ( Calabria and Basilicata). • Regio IV Samnium ( part of Lazio and the provinces of L'Aquila and Chieti, in Abruzzo). • Regio V Picenum ( Marche and the northern part of Abruzzo, which comprise the present day provinces of Teramo e Pescara). • Regio VI Úmbria et Ager Gallicus ( Umbria and Marche). • Regio VII Etruria ( Toscana). • Regio VIII Aemilia ( the Romagna part of the Emilia Romagna). Romagna comprised the center and the eastern part of the current Emilia Romagna ( which included the provinces of Ravenna; Ferrara ; Rimini; Forlí-Cesena and Bologna). • Regio IX Liguria ( Liguria and Lombardy). • Regio IX Venetia et Histria ( Veneto; Friuli Venezia Giulia and Trentino). • Regio XI Transpandana ( Gallia Cisalpina). Hispania, on the other hand, was divided in 3 different provinces ( which was under the Roman power since the Second Punic War, but definitively annexed only during the Cantabrian War). • LVSITANIA ( Portugal and parts of Extramadura). • HISPANIA BAETICA ( Andalusia and parts of Murcia). • HISPANIA TARRACONENSIS ( the rest of Spain, which included the current Spanish Autonomous Communities of Castilla La-Mancha; Madrid; Aragón; Castilla Y León; La Rioja; Galicia; Cantabria; Navarra; C Valenciana, and Catalonia). Rome itself was for the first time divided and organized under his rule. Rome was divided in 14 different regions. • Regio I Porta Capena. • Regio II Caelimontium. • Regio III Isis et Serapis. • Regio IV Templum Pacis. • Regio V Esquiliae. • Regio VI Alta Semita • Regio VIII Forum Romanum. • Regio XI Circus Flaminius. • Regio X Palatium. • Regio XI Circus Maximus. • Regio XII Piscina Publica. • Regio XIII Aventinus. • Regio XIV Transtiberim.

After this, the late roman army please

Amazing video as always, just an FYI, at 9:45 it is stated the auxillia were kept close to their homes until 68-69AD but the title scroll in the top right says 68-69BC

Belgrade is a good example of how a Roman camp grew into a town

Watching this as well as Time Team, what a great combo.

I love these kinds of in-depth videos (Along with all your videos, I'm a little bias as a military history fanatic). It's due no mistake that this army conquered their world and the world they knew. The strengths of the Roman army were technology, discipline/training, and their administration. Both Sun Tzu and Ceasar would agree that the supply-lines of an army, its structure and cohesion are most important qualities.

the smartest move of Augustus, and that set things up for the prosperity of the Pax Romana, was that he finally conceded to close advisers and purged his enemies of the civil war - instead of being conciliatory toward them. Is best to just cut out the festering cancer instead of leave it there to fester and eventually rebound and destroy the host

Another video about Ancient Rome. Great!

Octavian did so much for the empire, what do you expect when you learn from the best Julius Caesar

EXCELLENT series. Very well done indeed.

Is there a reason why the numbers for the cohorts are so "atypical" as in not a multiple of 5 or ending in 0? I guess it's another multiple? If yes, was there any specific reason to do that? Like did Romans counted by packets of another multiple than 10? (For example, us French used to count by packets of 20, which is why our 70-80-90 numbers are pronounced so weirdly.) My guess would be multiples of 8 since that's the number of men per tent. Another fascinating video guys. I never knew the Legionnaires built the roads - I guess these were used by civilians afterwards?

Awesome as always.

10:05 that Age of Mythology building sound effect

The music just fits perfectly 👌

Augustus was by far Rome's best emperor!

2:39 I didn’t know you could Latinize Latin 🤔 Anglicized maybe?

Finally a happy roman video! I owe you many thanks

I’d love to see your take on Arcturis Maximus, a very tall Roman General whom was able to conquer the British isles when others in the past could not. The Celtic priest druids made the Romans all the more super sticious, and his name is whom the Arthurian legends of Camelot and Merlin are initially based off Caracalla, one of the later Roman emperors, was the last major historical figure to wear the golden breastplate of Alexander The Great, and it’d be really nice if you could do a video by each Roman Emperor, their individual contributions to the Roman Empire (by land mass, land marks such as Hadrian’s wall or fountain), and nicely done so far

This seems to be about changes in the Imperial legions from the time of Augustus until Marcus Aurelius, and not simply changes instituted by Augustus himself? Informative as always!

Must be good, without watching I like 😀 Edit: It was worth it

The voice and presentation are freaking awesome. 😊☕👍

The Age of Empires wall building sound made me shiver in nostalgia

It's incredible how similar work the moderns armies

this is really fascinating stuff

Can you guys make a video about the batavian rebellion?

9:10 Age of Empires sound effect!? x)

The first cohort reminds me of the first company of a space marine chapter likely due to it being comprised of the most veteran soldiers.

What a amazing video to wake up to

Im recenlty reading "old rome" by simon Baker and these videos are quite helping

Awesome video learnt a lot from this thanks

So it is believed that Guias' reforms was a major contributor to the collapse of the Roman Republic? I will watch the prior episode against to get more context.

1:12 "Mr. Octavian, I don't feel so good..."

this man must be the fan of Total war

I'd like to see a video of the evolution of equipment and armour of the Roman and the early Byzantine armies through the centuries.

Picture at end is Split in Croatia, called Spalato formed by Diocletian

10:05 the sound of building a wall in age of mithology

Make a video about the story of the tocharian people!!

Video is titled "Military Reforms of Augustus" but what were the actual reforms? It looks like the video just states how was the military organised after the reforms, but what specific changes has been made and why is kind of missing...

Fulminata took me to fulminate, which I'd not seen for years but its origin is pretty clear since in our current English lexicon it is defined as "a thunderous verbal attack". The more you know...

Construction of roads... *Insert wall sound from AoM* Nice!

Got a test on this. Thank you for helping me pass

Great! As always 😄

I don't live to far from Caerleon. I live in Cardiff, Cardiff Castle has been a Roman fort as well as a Norman Castle and is now home to the museum for Royal Welch Regiment and houses the colours of 4th U.S. Infantry, taken at the Battle of Detroit. No, you cannot have them back.

An excellent, and very informative, video. The Imagnifer position is new to me, but now all the pictures of Roman troops standin around with the Emperor's depic up on a pole in the background makes a little more sense, hadn't realized that that dude was a standard bearer in his own right (or that the depict was of an Emp, thought maybe Romulus or something so never took a good look). Wonder if these guys carryin the likeness of an Emp were central to carrying out a conspiracy. Four guys turnin up at your tent flap fully armed probably increased the sympathetic factor.

Have you thought on a series of castle videos? Maybe? Great video as always!

What Rome really needed was a military college like West point. Both for strategic and tactical planning. Military history etc but also to foster loyalty to the state.

9:08 was that the AoE training sound? You sneaky buggers nearly got that past me.

New arrival: "Greetings! Fellow Legionary!" "I take-it the Bath House is two-doors down, on the right?" -- "Aye, brother" -- "But then, is the tavern the third door on the left?, or is that the Brothel?" -- "Because this place is not Germania nor Gaul, the Tavern is actually the third door on the right, and the 'Official' Brothel is directly opposite; the third door on the left." -- "Well, brother, I can say that things have certainly changed a lot since I began my Legionary Service; some twenty-odd years-ago!" -- "Aye, Brother!; and AVE!, I feel that same way. But this world must Evolve, as must Our Empire! Great Mithras' Blessings-upon You, Brother, and Good-Night." -- Kind and Respectful Regards, Uyraell, NZ.

Its 2 am i have to go to school tomorrow but i cant skip a video

No fortresses/permanent camps on Italic peninsula :( Nice video! Thanks!

The city showed in the end of the video is Split, Croatia. Well, greetings from Croatia!