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Generally army rations consisted of little else than wheat. The soldiers themselves would ground the grain they were given and made it into things such as porridge or bread.Whenever possible this monotonous army diet was supplemented with whatever was locally available like pork, fish, chicken, cheese, fruit and vegetables. But the basic ration of frumentum was never far from the soldiers stomach and formed the basis of their diet. So much so, th...

All legionary soldiers also received a sizeable sum of money on the completion of their term of service: 3000 denarii from the time of Augustus and/or a plot of good farmland (good land was in much demand). Later, under Caracalla, the praemia increased to 5000 denarii.So this is the army that conquered the world- a large force of disciplined men in tight ranks acting as one. Almost nothing of the day could withstand this unrelenting fighting mach...

To create their highly effective fighting units, training was harsh for the Roman soldier. This helped to instill a group unity, however the military discipline of the legions could be quite brutal. Regulations were strictly enforced, and many punishments could be inflicted upon a legionary who broke them. From being flayed to fewer rations, even threats to the family at home. As a result of this demanding lifestyle many legionaries became devote...