Roman Military Technology

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Roman military technology was second to none. Their technology and military weapons made them a formidable force for centuries as they continued to expand their kingdom. Romans used most of the military equipment developed by the Greeks but turned them into a much greater force.

Technological history of the Roman military

Greeks used the ballistic in siege warfare, but Romans improved their design to a very large extent. The Roman engineers used metal components in their assembly, which made the ballista lighter to carry and improved accuracy and power by around 25%. The Roman engineers created such a design that the power and accuracy of the ballista increased with its size.

What technology did the Romans use?

The Roman military was very advanced for its time. The Roman military was very advanced for its time. They had a strong focus on engineering, which meant that they were able to develop innovative weapons and armor. They used technologies such as the ballista – a large crossbow-like weapon and the trebuchet to launch projectiles at their enemies. They also used catapults to hurl rocks and other objects at enemy fortifications. The Roman army was also equipped with armor, swords, and shields.  The Romans also had walls and fortifications that were very difficult to breach. This made it difficult for enemies to attack them directly. This technology made the Roman army one of the most feared in the world.


What are examples of Roman inventions in military technology?

There are many Roman military inventions. One of the most significant inventions of the Roman engineers in military technology was the carrobaliista. It was mounted on a cart and could be easily carried from one place to another. Moreover, It could be used both as an attack option or defense.

Romans also invented the onager, a heavy artillery system just like the catapults, used to take down the walls by hurling stones. The onager had a much simpler design than the catapult. And it had a greater force and precision, but the range was minimal. Onager used torsional force and potential energy in its working, which was provided by the twisted ropes or springs.

The Romans also invented the scorpion, a hand-held crossbow to shoot arrows or bolts at close range. The Romans also had several other weapons, such as the gladius (a short sword), the pugio (a dagger), and the lancea (a spear).

The Romans improved the technology of the pontoon bridge, which was initially used by the Chinese and Persians, and were able to complete these bridges with rapid speed and within a very short time. Romans had many enemies on the seas.

The Battle of Cape Ecnomus is considered one of the largest naval battles in the history of mankind, which was fought between the Romans and the Carthaginians around 256 BC. Carthaginians were the greatest naval force at that time. Carthaginians had the numerical advantage and were strong in long-range battles. Still, the strength of the Romans lay in their close combat tactics. To counter this problem, the Roman engineers constructed Corvus, a boarding bridge that locked the two ships together, thus giving Romans the upper hand.

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This article is written by:
Nisar Alam guest author of netizenme.com
Nisar Ahmad

Nisar is a passionate content writer and loves to share his ideas about the world. He an energetic self persuasive author who loves to composes and plans to develop himself and his readers with every one of his steps.