The Roman army of the mid-Republic, also called the manipular Roman army or the Polybian army, refers to the armed forces deployed by the mid-Roman Republic, from the end of the Samnite Wars to the end of the Social War. The first phase of this army, in its manipular structure, is described in detail in the Histories of the ancient Greek historian Polybius, writing before 146 BC.
Roman silver denarius issued in 112 BC showing (obverse) helmeted head of Scipio Africanus, legend: CN BLASIO CN F; (reverse) Jupiter (figure at centre), Rome's highest god, holding long sceptre and thunderbolts, between Juno and Minerva, legend: official state name ROMA beneath. Considered the greatest Roman military leader of the Second Punic War, Scipio permanently drove the Carthaginians out of Spain in a series of brilliant campaigns (210–206 BC) and then became the sole Roman general to defeat
A Roman senior officer (centre), of the time of Polybius, as depicted on a bas relief from the Altar of Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus, c. 122 BC. Most likely a tribunus militum (joint legionary commander). Note the plumed Attic helmet, engraved bronze cuirass, mantle, sash indicating equestrian rank, pteruges. The soldier on the left is wearing an Italian version of the Corinthian helmet, which has the face guard permanently lifted back off the face, but retains its two eye holes for decoration.
Detail from the Ahenobarbus relief showing (centre-right) two Roman foot soldiers c. 122 BC. Note the Montefortino-style helmets with horsehair plume, mail armour with shoulder reinforcement, oval shields with calfskin covers, gladius and pilum
The bowl of a Montefortino-type helmet, which was used by Roman infantry between c. 300 BC and the 1st century AD. The cheek guards are missing, although their hinges are visible. The knob on the top was used to hold black plumes
Turma
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A turma, was a cavalry unit in the Roman army of the Republic and Empire. In the Byzantine Empire, it became applied to the larger, regiment-sized military-administrative divisions of a thema. The word is often translated as "squadron" but so is the term ala, a unit that was made up of several turmae.
