Warfare Tactics
Soldiers at the front would run towards the enemy and then throw a plum when in range of the enemy. This caused disarray amongst the enemy, while other legionnaires moved in to fight close up with their swords. The wedge formation was used to ‘crack open’ enemy lines. Legionaries formed a triangle, with the front man being the ‘tip’ and allowing him to charge towards the enemy line with the shields facing forwards. The Romans used cavalry to support the legionnaires by attacking the flanks of their enemies and to chase them if they retreated. A tortoise was used to reduce the number of casualties when approaching fortifications. The tortoise was a very tight, string formation that allowed the soldiers to get really close to their enemies wall.
Top Left: The circle formation used when surrounded. Top Right & Top Middle: The Wedge Formation when soldiers charged at the enemy with their shields raised. Bottom Middle: The ‘Tortoise’ used to reduce the number of casualties. Bottom Left: The Square Formation used when surrounded. Bottom Right: Shows where the soldiers stand in a battle.