Gregory Aldrete

You forget a bunch of those, you form a legion. So the Romans were able to subdivide their army. And the big sticking point comes at 197 BC at the Battle of Cynoscephalae when the Roman legion goes up against one of the descendants of Alexander the Great who's using his military system.

You forget a bunch of those, you form a legion. So the Romans were able to subdivide their army. And the big sticking point comes at 197 BC at the Battle of Cynoscephalae when the Roman legion goes up against one of the descendants of Alexander the Great who's using his military system.

You forget a bunch of those, you form a legion. So the Romans were able to subdivide their army. And the big sticking point comes at 197 BC at the Battle of Cynoscephalae when the Roman legion goes up against one of the descendants of Alexander the Great who's using his military system.

So this is the new Roman system with flexibility versus the old invincible Alexander system with the heavily armed Sarissa with those long 15-foot poles. And the key moment in the battle is where they lock together, and in a head-on clash, the Macedonians are going to win.

So this is the new Roman system with flexibility versus the old invincible Alexander system with the heavily armed Sarissa with those long 15-foot poles. And the key moment in the battle is where they lock together, and in a head-on clash, the Macedonians are going to win.

So this is the new Roman system with flexibility versus the old invincible Alexander system with the heavily armed Sarissa with those long 15-foot poles. And the key moment in the battle is where they lock together, and in a head-on clash, the Macedonians are going to win.

But the Romans have the flexibility to break off a little section of their army, run around to the side, and attack that formation from the side, and they win the battle. So they prove tactically superior because of their flexibility. So it's always development and counter-development in military history.

But the Romans have the flexibility to break off a little section of their army, run around to the side, and attack that formation from the side, and they win the battle. So they prove tactically superior because of their flexibility. So it's always development and counter-development in military history.

But the Romans have the flexibility to break off a little section of their army, run around to the side, and attack that formation from the side, and they win the battle. So they prove tactically superior because of their flexibility. So it's always development and counter-development in military history.

Adaptation. You have to keep adapting.

Adaptation. You have to keep adapting.

Adaptation. You have to keep adapting.

I do military history. So, I mean, the Romans specialized in – I mean, early on, they have pretty random armor and it's not standardized. I mean, remember, there's no factories in the ancient world. So nobody's cranking out 10,000 units of exactly the same armor. Each one is handmade. Now, there could be a degree of standardization.

I do military history. So, I mean, the Romans specialized in – I mean, early on, they have pretty random armor and it's not standardized. I mean, remember, there's no factories in the ancient world. So nobody's cranking out 10,000 units of exactly the same armor. Each one is handmade. Now, there could be a degree of standardization.

I do military history. So, I mean, the Romans specialized in – I mean, early on, they have pretty random armor and it's not standardized. I mean, remember, there's no factories in the ancient world. So nobody's cranking out 10,000 units of exactly the same armor. Each one is handmade. Now, there could be a degree of standardization.

Even as early as Alexander, there was a certain amount of standardization. But each one is still handmade, and that's important to keep in mind, each weapon, each piece of armor. Armor develops over time to fit the tactics. So the Greek hoplites are very heavy armor. The Roman infantrymen early in the republic is lighter. Eventually, they get this typical sort of chainmail shirt, helmet, shield.

Even as early as Alexander, there was a certain amount of standardization. But each one is still handmade, and that's important to keep in mind, each weapon, each piece of armor. Armor develops over time to fit the tactics. So the Greek hoplites are very heavy armor. The Roman infantrymen early in the republic is lighter. Eventually, they get this typical sort of chainmail shirt, helmet, shield.

Even as early as Alexander, there was a certain amount of standardization. But each one is still handmade, and that's important to keep in mind, each weapon, each piece of armor. Armor develops over time to fit the tactics. So the Greek hoplites are very heavy armor. The Roman infantrymen early in the republic is lighter. Eventually, they get this typical sort of chainmail shirt, helmet, shield.

The classic sort of Roman legionary, I would say, is the one of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, so the early Roman Empire. This is the guy who wore bands of steel arranged in sort of bands around their body. It looks almost like a lobster's shell. This is a thing called the lorica segmentata.

The classic sort of Roman legionary, I would say, is the one of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, so the early Roman Empire. This is the guy who wore bands of steel arranged in sort of bands around their body. It looks almost like a lobster's shell. This is a thing called the lorica segmentata.