Talk:Technological history of the Roman military

initial setup of article

Setting up a stub to prevent red links, will be working on this article this week. Could do with help :-) - PocklingtonDan 16:50, 16 November 2006 (UTC)

I would envisage the scope of this article as being to cover a summary of changes in roman military technology from the Roman Kingdom to the fall of the Western Roman Empire, including dates and background to development or adoption of personal weapon types and armour, development or adoption of siege weaponry, development or adoption of ship types and naval weaponry etc and linking to main articles on each sub-topic - PocklingtonDan 20:35, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

This article will brood heavily on Roman personal weapons and Roman military engineering, the first may find istself lacking and unrequired should this article sport sufficient informaiton.--Dryzen 18:54, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

There's the shift from Hoplite warfare in the very early kingdom, I believe, and there is the adoption and evolution of the Gladius, but I'm not sure how much the standard equipment of the legions changed. Certainly the "standard kit" changed between early Republic and "Marius' Mules" - but I don't think this is a technological change. One would think that Roman military engineering changes would be the bulk of the article, as far as land forces are concerned.

The Roman Navy evolved technologically, especially during the First Punic War, adopting and then abandoning the Corvus. - Vedexent (talk) - 20:12, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, please keep all these suggestions coming, I'm sure there's loads more items to build in. How about the introduction of the repeating ballista? Anyone know the historicity of that? How about the actual technological history of weapons manufacture etc, there must be a historicity to that since I doubt the Romans innovated any of the processes. Another point is that this article should certainly cover technological decline as well as technological progress too though, right? I'm seeing this article as being a summary of technology adoption, technology creation and evolution and technological decline - PocklingtonDan 20:35, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

The standard equipement of the legionaire did change over the years, sometimes as sabtle modifications and other times are great upheavals. Not only in the armour and weapons department, but in the supplies soldiers carried as well. The Trade mark Gladius was not present in the Kingdom of Rome, the Locrita Segmata only came into prominence in the late Republic. Helms where made of bronze then steel then bronze and steel again, shifting with Military Budget and events. Marius'mules also carried diffrent stores than the previous genrations of soldiers. etc These in my mind are all valide technologicla changes. Engineering of course will of evolved and adptated as capaigns where fought and new opponents assimilated or encountered.--Dryzen 14:05, 24 November 2006 (UTC)

If I remember correctly the repeating ballista was no big success. More so the small handheld ballistae and the bigger ones mounted on carts. I think there were some critical battles for the Roman in the Asia Minor/Balkan area who encountered small handheld ballista forces supporting the traditional phalangites. Try the Mithridatic wars perhaps it started already back then, although such ideas had been tried by the Macedons earlier with gastraphetes (too little penetration power) and mobile ballistae troops giving cover fire for the movement of phalanxes. Wandalstouring 01:13, 25 November 2006 (UTC)

New direction

I found the article very misleading and downright wrong in several areas. Although the authors give Sherwood's recent book a footnote, they have clearly not read the contents. I have amended the text as appropriate and added some photos from other articles to show the importance of Roman technology. Much more could be added, as our knowledge of their technical advances continues. Peterlewis (talk) 11:01, 2 March 2008 (UTC)

Feel free to expand the article. Wandalstouring (talk) 11:15, 2 March 2008 (UTC)