| Timeline : Superpowers | |
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| Generalissimus | Marcus Valerius Pantaneus |
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| Headquarters | Carthage |
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The Legion (or Roman Legions) is the general title of the armed forces of Rome. As the empire's military, it is the centerpoint of a military-industrial complex with unbelievable power and international authority. Feared by foreigners and revered by patriots, the Legion is without question the most effective army in history.
Founded in the 4th century BCE, the Legion has never ceased growing in capacity. Historians and tacticians theorize that Rome's legions rival the combined forces of all other nations. A modern Golden Horde would pale in comparison.
As the longest operating military in human history, the Legion weathered the storms of gunpowder, aircraft, computers, and every new technology that reshaped warfare. Its incredible logistic flexibility and the mental fortitude of its troops, is primarily what has allowed it to persist over the course of all these developments over the millennia.
Technically, the Legion is the political term for all of the Roman armed forces. However, it popularly refers specifically to the exercitus (army) and will be treated as such for most of the article. Working to defend Rome on the ground are its legions, the Equitatus and the Praesidium Imperium. After World War II, the traditional militia of Rome known as the Auxilia was disbanded. It is survived by the 1067 law of auxilaria subito (conscription) which allows the government to conscript portions of the citizenry.
External to the Legion is the Praetorian Guard that serves to protect the emperor and city of Rome. Its guard duties and espionage operations distinguish it from the role of the Legion, which is the projection of national power by non-economic and non-political means.
Purpose[]
In the Constitution, the Legion is tasked with two functions: defending the citizens of the Imperium and enforcing the sovereign will of Rome on foreign powers. Far from excluding one another, these are perfectly consistent goals and accomplishing one will often entail the success of the other.
Before the emergence of international law, the Legion was free to enforce Roman dominance without limitation. Any power that could not stand against its troops - this being every foreign power - was forced to support the ambitions of the Imperium Romanum. When Rome forged the Alliance of Earth with Japan and the Maya, it had to sacrifice the liberty to treat other countries as it pleased with the security of an international alliance. It was clear from the second world war that it was dangerous for Rome to go alone. The state of its military technology and size of its armies made it possible to stand against an antagonistic world but such a conflict would come with great loss.
Modern military policy is somewhat more reserved and more completely focused on defending the Imperium rather than extending its reach. Although the memory of the Legion's strength is far from gone, foreign powers no longer express absolute disdain for this military force. It is genuinely viewed by some foreigners as being a guardian for their interests as well as those of the Roman citizens.
Structure[]
As an arm of the executive government, the Legion is completely at the behest of the Caesar. Its internal leader, however, is the Generalissimus, supreme commander of the army, navy, and air force. Within the army are the three divisions of the professional soldiers, armored vehicles, and national guard. These work in concert according to the global strategies of the Ministry of War, Caesar, and Generalissimus.
The professional division of the exercitus consists of 200 legions organized according to nearly identical designs. Its present form stems from the Second Marian Reforms in 1717. This reorganization emphasized the command hierarchy and enforced strict uniformity in the armed forces. The regular unit of the army, retaining its name for several thousand years, is the Legionary. Over a million of these professional soldiers train and fight for the Imperium, assisted in logistics by numerous engineers, officers, medics, technicians and artillery gunners. A single legionary is a force to be reckoned with since he is armed with expensive weapons and equipment, and has undergone extensive training.
The standard Roman infantryman, retaining his name for thousands of years, is the Legionary. 1,242,180 of these professional soldiers train and fight in the Roman Legion, assisted logistically by countless engineers, officers, doctors, and technicians beyond this number. A single legionary is a force to be reckoned with as he is equipped with expensive weapons and machinery, and has received years of intensive training.
Third largest armed forces in the world, the Legion's 1,242,180 legionaries are its backbone. This is an unusually small infantry force for a country as large as the Roman Empire. Its small size stems from a military doctrine emphasizing the quality over the quantity of soldiers. Great expense is funneled into the training and equipment of each legionary, and they only use the most advanced technology. Standard equipment includes laser rifles, plasma launchers, accurate personal sensors, and armored exoskeletons.
Each of the 200 legions splits into ten cohortes individually composed of six centuries. One century is a battalion of 100 legionaries led by their centurion, ensuring that a single legion fields a total of 6,000 soldiers.
The Caesar personally commands his own personal legion, separate from the primary 200 legions. This 101st legion (pronounced Legio chi) operates independently of the Praetorian Guard and the Legion and has no other commander than the emperor himself. Its soldiers are widely regarded as some of the most fearsome in the modern world, comparable to the ancient Spartans.
Organization[]
National Military Command[]
The state confers absolute command over the entire armed forces to the reigning Caesar, Rome's chief executive officer and first citizen. As the top of the pyramid of command (pyramidis imperia), his orders must be followed without exception. Due to the separation of most emperors from military life, their orders are typically vague with a great deal of strategic flexibility, along the lines of "hold Thebes above all else" or "take the enemy's capital".
Imbedded securely in the pyramid and immediately below the emperor, Generalissimus (Supreme Commander) is the highest distinctly military office in Rome. He is the commander who formulates the empire's military policy and global strategic goals after the emperor's input. Generalissimus Valerius Pantaneus presently manages the motion of Roman legions around the occupied world and coordinates with the Japanese and Maya high commands on the military policies of the Alliance. As the Caesar appoints a Generalissimus, he technically may appoint himself, an executive action that in Roman tradition equates to declaring martial law. Only 6 emperors have done this since the civil war, evident in history books by the distinctly military symbolism of caesarian art from those periods. However, the act seems like mere formality to foreigners since a Caesar's imperium maius during peacetime still gives him ultimate authority over the Legion.
Civilian management of military affairs works through the Ministerium Bellicum (Ministry of War), popularly known as the ministerium pacis. The Magister Militum, its administrator, manages the bureaucratic issues of keeping a standing army, and working closely with the Minister of Defense, who manages the national guard. Despite some overlap, defenses like satellite weapons are firmly under the jurisdiction of the Master of Soldiers.
The armed forces strict chain of command, symbolized by the pyramidis imperia, stretches from the common legionary to the Generalissimus. Any military personnel may only request orders from his immediate CO and will obey orders from any superior officers or else face a military tribunal.
There is little natural conflict between the duties of Generalissimus and Master of Soldiers. The latter engages himself in paying wages, organizes the legions during peacetime, and communicates military policy to the public, while ensuring that national strategy is in line with national policy. The Generalissimus, by contrast, decides the where, when and how of military operations at the highest level. Of course, often strategy must be planned on a global scale so he tends to decide on strategic goals while his legates and generals flesh out the details.
Upper Leadership[]
On a continental scale, command of the Legion falls in the lap of a Legatus (Continental Commander). Density of legions by continent varies from 60 under the legatus asianus to 20 under the legatus oceanus. Therefore, each legatus has control of a different number of legions. Despite only having 40 legions, the legatus europa is still the most prestigious military office below Generalissimus. His office in the Castrum Italium places him within the next most involved military headquarters next to Carthage.
A corps of ten legions is commanded by an Epistrategoi (Over-General), who specializes in specific elements of strategy for modern warfare. Some notable epistrategos are experts in amphibious warfare, coordination with aircraft, intelligence management, and climate control in situ. The famous Epistragoi Flavius Catternai can coordinate his forces with satellites as no other general can.
Currently, there are 20 epistrategos serving Rome in its grand strategy and working on expeditionary missions. While centurions and legion commanders are praised by the public, epistrategos have the sole honor of leading a military Triumph through the streets of Rome. For this reason, emperors and generalissimi have taken on the title. Even the presence of an epistrategoi demands reverence and respect from civilians and politicians as much as from inferior officers. It has long been standard practice for an epistrategoi to command Roman forces during a specific battle where different branches of the military work together. This tended to make them the highest ranked officers on the field. However, modern generals operate far from the front line.
Command of an individual legion is delegated to a Dux (Legion Commander or General). Evolving from the catch-all term for military leader in the early empire (50-700 CE), the term dux now refers to a specific rank. Duces have a unique honor of being the lowest office which is permitted to formulate new strategic goals. Since they are often the nearest strategists to combat, they usually exercise more direct control than other commanding ranks.
Infantry Formations[]
A Legionary is a soldier encased in standard lorica carbonata and operating in the most direct combat. Their smallest formation is a contubernium (ten man unit). Modern contubernia each hold 10 legionaries, led on the field by a Tesserarius and his second-in-command the Decurion. Ten contubernia collect together into a single centuria (century) whose commanding officer is the prestigious Centurion. A centurion's strategic link to his contubernia are his two Optiones, one of whom - the Primo Optio - succeeds the centurion on his death. A successor position in the military, necessary to keep a consistent flow of orders, is an immutatio. COs and immutatios aren't included in the legionary count so a century comprises 100 legionaries and 23 officers.
Next highest formation is the cohors (cohort) of six centuriae. Cohortes used to be arranged within a legion by a hierarchy from first to last cohort but this was phased out before the civil war. A cohort's principales (CO) is the Signiferius (Standard-bearer). Once carrier of his cohort's symbol, signiferius came to denote a high military rank in the 18th century. Formal duties of a signiferius for his cohort are choosing its coat of arms, creating a motto and generally distinguishing it among the empire's many legions. While rarely in the line of fire, a signiferius still risks losing communications with inferior officers through a radio blackout or technical error. In such an event, he is temporarily replaced by the senior centurion, the Primus Pilus (First Spear) until higher leaders are contacted. Though the primus pilus' century does not receive special treatment, a first spear has the highest pay grade of all the milites (infantrymen).
Other Personnel[]
Besides basic infantry and their commanding officers, the Legion employs a number of personnel in a logistic or supportive military role. These form the specialized components of the Legion.
Aenator designates the psychologist assigned to each centuria who acts as its morale officer. His purpose is to enliven the esprits de corps of the troops, helping them continue to fight and remember what motivates them as individuals within the army. Aenatores train in monitoring the mental states of soldiers for signs of trauma, stress, depression, and intentions to mutiny or desert. It was officially made a post in 1864 during the Magna Cruorem. Soldiers reportedly questioned the purpose of invading such a country as helpless as Muscovy and many refused to advance with missions to destroy enemy settlements or execute prisoners.
Healing in the middle of combat and between battles is provided by Medici Legiones (field doctors). One of the few military posts fillable by a non-citizen, legionary medics are famous for often being Inca. The Inca's reputation as doctors pushed the Senate to open the road for them to serve in the military despite the public disdain for employing foreigners in the army.
Artillery (ballista) is operated by the vital Ballistarii (artillerymen). They are grouped into formations known as Manipuli (regiment), individually commanded by a Duplicarius (artillery officer). The number of regiments assigned to a legion - and the composition of those regiments - is an area of flexibility for the Roman army. Regular legionaries are universally trained in the operation of mortars and every contubernium has one of its own for field use, but this does little compared to the effectiveness of dedicated artillerymen and heavy artillery.
On the side, the Legion has thousands of men in reserve to immediately absorb losses with replacement troops. These reserves, called adscripticii, are stationed in castra (forts) throughout the empire and can be flown in to supplement a dying legion at a moment's notice. Though nearly 312,000 trained legionaries are ready to replace fallen soldiers, the majority of reserves consists of the over 630,000 tirones (trainees) preparing for service.
Armored vehicles[]
Before the Aegranian military reforms in 1068-1075, testudos played only a support role in the Roman Legion. No more than twenty or so were used at any given time and they were limited to extraneous circumstances. All that time, individual testudos were a force like no other on the battlefield, able to pummel armies into submission and raze cities to the ground. Their potential was realized by the new Caesar Aegranus, and their presence was increased. His expansions put at least one testudo in the ranks of every legion.
The number of testudos per Legion gradually increased to five per legion by the end of the Two Hundred Years War. The 13th century saw the invention of electrical vehicles of war, powered by batteries rather than human effort. It was not until horses were phased out of the Legion in the 1820's that armored vehicles were formed into their own arm of the Legion, the Equitatus, to allow activity independent of an assigned legion.
Ranks[]
Behold, a complete chart of military personnel as they appear by rank in the Legion:
- Generalissimus
- 5 Legati
- 20 Epistrategos
- 200 Duces (legiones)
- 2,010 Signiferii (cohortes)
- 2,010 Primus Pili
- 12,060 Centurions (centuria)
- 3,000 Duplicarii (manipuli)
- 12,060 Primo Optiones
- 24,120 Optiones
- 12,060 Aenatores
- 120,600 Tesserarius (contubernia)
- 120,600 Decurions
- 964,800 Legionaries
- 300,000 reserve legionaries
- 240,000 Ballistarii
- 630,000 trainees
- 120,600 Tesserarius (contubernia)
- 2,010 Signiferii (cohortes)
- 200 Duces (legiones)
- 20 Epistrategos
- 5 Legati
- Total Infantry : 1,542,180 milites
- Total Combat Medics : 65,000 medici
- Total Artillerymen : 243,000 ballistarii
Military Intelligence[]
The Caetus Legati (Gathering of Legates) carries out large scale decision making in the Legion, assembling the state's finest military minds. Attending gatherings are the five Legati, the Generalissimus, emissaries of other branches, some epistrategos and often the Magister Militum. During peace, the Caetus assembles on a weekly basis in Rome's Concilium Res Militias. Positioning of legions, fleets, and squadrons is done to suit present geopolitical relationships. Modernizations of military equipment are also implemented by the Caetus.
Communication among members is advanced beyond any other existing facility. Instead of common holographic terminals for long-distance conversation, the CRM is equipped with pools of nanoparticles that form into the shape and appearance of a person for interactive communication. These lifelike three-dimensional "images" can be touched and can manipulate objects in real time. The effect is that all interlocutors seem physically present.
In a state of emergency, the Caetus might meet for days at a time. They might be joined by the emperor, with whom national and international strategy will be formulated in concert with the Japanese and Maya states.
Equipment[]
Legionaries have access to a standard set of military equipment:
- Primary weapon: A legionary may choose one of three main weapons: long-range, close-quarters or an all-purpose striker. This choice defines his role on the battlefield as either a tactical hunter, a position invader or a heavy defender. The primary systems of a legionary, including main weapons, are powered by the lorica carbonata's nuclear battery. Targeting and aiming systems are part of the suit's - not the gun's - capabilities and thus common across all firearms in the Legion's arsenal.
- Long range: The Nike battle rifle is the single most advanced small arms used by infantry worldwide. Its 0.9 m body, without adding a stock, consists of 2/5ths barrel. Ammunition is not a problem for a Nike since it fires a high-energy beam of light generated by a solid-state laser. Limited by line-of-sight alone, it is perfectly accurate but severely attenuates beyond 30 km of open air. Power output cannot exceed one MJ per second - 200 grams of nitrogen explosive directed into the opponent each second - as the laser's capacitors cannot handle more power. This energy can be spread over two, four or six quick pulses within that second, specially suited to handle either infantry, aircraft or armor. On a full battery, 2 Hz operation allows an ideal maximum of 20,000 shots before the battery needs recharging. However, with other systems in the lorica operating simultaneously, a legionary can realistically unleash about 2000 to 5000 rounds. Most remarkably, no reloading is necessary. Those soldiers who wish to intimidate their enemy or foster a sense of personal power can activate an optional bang and flash to accompany every shot. Loricae exoskeletons are also programmed to simulate kickback from the rifle for the same reasons as these other aesthetic features. The sight of an armor-clad legionary with his rifle in arms, recoiling with each expulsion of laser light, is indeed frightening.
- Close range: The Hammer of Hephaestus scattergun is humanity's first plasma-based small arm. About 0.6 m long the gun is rather bulky for a handheld weapon but this is necessary to leave room for its 0.3 m helium gas ammunition cartridge. Electromagnets heat and accelerate the gas through coiled accelerator tubes to a muzzle velocity exceeding 20,000 ms-1. With a surprisingly high amount of gas ejected every shot, one cartridge supplies about 200 bolts. Since soldiers would be equipped with four to six of them, the plasma launcher can last a while in combat. The Hammer is especially effective against armored targets due to its ability to melt nearly any material, although it is significantly hindered by repulsive electromagnetic shielding. Expelled bolts are a yellow color.
- Specialized: 2 m long and over 26 kg without attachments, the Minotaurus heavy machine gun is the largest man-portable weapon. With some attachments, the gun weighs up to 34 kg while empty. Most iterations of the Minotaurus are fed ammunition by a large pack worn on the soldier's back that carries 16,000 bullets of 8 mm caliber. Each bullet contains a shaped charge that can add 50 mm of penetration into tank armor with every hit. The gun varies in rate of fire but is able to approach 3000 rounds per minute. At maximum power, a soldier equipped with this gun can make short work of most armored vehicles. A Minotaurus has variable muzzle velocities, from 1,300 ms-1 for an anti-infantry role to 11,300 ms-1 against armor. Even fortifications offer only modest protection from the Minotaurus.
- Sidearm: Roman legionaries have access to two sidearms. The first is the Clanculum rapid fire handgun. It's small size, 50 round magazine and 1,300 ms-1 muzzle velocity allow it to get legionaries out of most sticky situations. The Percidio, however, is more like a Desert Eagle, pumping over 20 KJ of kinetic energy into each of its 12 rounds. The decision to use one over the other is mere preference. A soldier wants either a high-powered sidearm for close encounters that works well in combination with the Nike rifle or something to quickly take out multiple foes at any range, which is useful more generally. Unlike primary weapons, sidearms carry an independent power source and are usable if the suit runs out of power.
- Explosives: Standard in a legionary's arsenal is a fragmentation grenade with a 40 m kill radius on open terrain. Such a blast exceeds the distance most soldiers can throw a grenade but is not only well inside the throwing distance for an armorclad legionary, it is also virtually ineffective against the armor itself. Optional hand explosives available to legionaries are plastic explosives, usually part of a tesserarius' equipment, and the experimental Phoenix Anti-Emplacement Bomb. This deadly new weapon came out of Roman R&D in the 90's for use in the Third World War. While equipped with a thirty minute power source of its own, it must be constantly attached to the legionary's armor battery as it needs the energy to retain an electromagnetic field containing 400 grams of hot plasma. Once the timer is activated, the legionary has ten seconds to leave the device before a wave of heat from the grenade melts everything within 20 meters. Tank armor, concrete walls, armored doors, no material can withstand a proximity detonation of a phoenix.
- Armor: The Lorica Carbonata is the crown jewel of the Legion. One of the most advanced pieces of human technology, a suit costs upwards of $940,000 US (18,800 Dn). Pay-off comes through the statistic that few legionaries are killed in combat. Dozens of features are built into the suit, each contributing to the fearsome reputation of Rome's mighty foot soldiers.
- Outer Layer: Outwardly the armor is made of sturdy plates of what looks like metal, but these are actually a hardened alloy of carbon nanotubes that is 200 times sturdier than steel and still a fourth of its weight. Not even the Maya can create a material with such properties; it is uniquely the product of Roman nanotechnology. However, not every inch of someone's body can be covered by these plates as this would restrict mobility. The solution is linked nanotube micro-particles (analogous to chain mail) that offer mobility at the joints with moderate loss in durability. The helmet (Latin: Galea) offers visibility through viewing ports that appear to cover much of the head. The reality behind the appearances is that only small sections are glass covers for four 8 mm cameras that feed live footage to a holographic HUD. In summary, the armor is strong enough to resist impacts near the magnitude of a cruise missile and has the heat resistance to render fire, laser and electrical weaponry ineffective except at very high orders of magnitude (close to the resistance of tungsten and durability of nanotubes).
- Inner Layer: The bottom layer of the armor is a synthetic fiber which offers maximum comfort to the soldier, while the next layer absorbs the physical shock of impacts. Thermoelectric sinks drain excess heat from the wearer into energy for the nuclear battery, while electric heaters generate warmth in temperatures as low as -60 degrees Celsius. Lethal accelerations up to 40 g can be absorbed by superconducting electromagnets (impulse dampeners) which work diamagnetically on the human body to enable legionaries to withstand tremendous abuse. Falls from 120 feet are routinely allowed in the heat of combat but a higher fall is classified as risky.
- Exoskeleton: The lorica's foremost component is the powered exoframe that turns soldiers into superhumans. First, it can carry 1,000 kg for the wearer without straining its artificial muscles - nanotube fibers pulled by micro-motors. These motors are directly powered by polymeric nanofiber battery patches which are ultracapacitors providing a quick release of energy for muscle movements. These are continuously recharged by the main battery. The added strength from the suit is sufficient to break concrete with punches and shove a car out of the way. Second, the suit reduces the loss of stamina during any physical exertion, allowing the user to easily sprint several km without tiring. Third, the exoskeleton is in harmony with targeting computers, giving near perfect control and accuracy when firing weapons. Strangely, the suit can simulate a programmed kickback motion for each weapon to provide the soldier with a sense of power and to intimidate the enemy. A legionary's speed and agility in the suit, while still limited by his human reaction times, is enhanced by the exoframe. The maximum tested running speed of a suited legionary is 74 kph (20.5 ms-1).
- Power: All of the lorica's power comes from a small nuclear battery at the base of the spine in the armor. Depending on the intensity of the soldier's activities, this piece of nickel can usually run the suit for a minimum of two days, and even up to several weeks if no weapons systems are needed. Power travels to all necessary parts of the suit through insulated superconductor wires. Electric nodes in the right hand transfer power to the primary weapon, or to a vehicle or structure with an appropriate receptacle. On the left hand are other nodes through which the nuclear battery is recharged, either from vehicles or mobile charging units that relay power from orbital solar satellites in the Helios Network.
- Shielding: Every suit is equipped with an electromagnetic array built into the back that can project a force field on command. This can reflect railgun rounds, plasma and electric discharges as well as partially deflect lasers, bullets, missiles and other shrapnel. An amplifier located in the right forearm of the suit can increase and focus the shield in a direction according to the arm's orientation. There is discussion among the engineers who develop such technology of fitting newer loricae with a plasma window. Such a device would shield the legionary from projectiles of every kind.
- Hardware & Software: A microscopic 4.5 GHz processor is embedded in the back of the legionary's helmet, performing the majority of the suit's calculations with its eight cores. It has integrated graphics processing which also handles the image production for the helmet's heads up display (HUD). Data acquired by the suit - including mission information, battle plans, and captured files - are stored in 28 micro-crystal storage devices throughout the suit which provide a total of 12 TB of storage. Redundant copies of the suit's operating system and preprogrammed movements are spread across these easy to replace devices. Without these programs, however, the suit is utterly useless.
- Sensors: A legionary galea is equipped with multiple electric sensors. In the eyes, infrared and visible cameras offer extraordinary detail concurrently on what is in their view. The former is a supplement to what is seen by the cameras in the visible spectrum. Heat signatures are overlaid to distinguish human targets from the environment and infrared completely takes over in foggy or obscured situations. Computer software highlights vehicles, civilians, other legionaries and enemy combatants according to criteria programmed prior to entering the field. Physical and digital magnification of the image are on an order comparable to a modern scope but the visual displays can interface with standard issue weapons to allow firing around corners or rapid switching between sniping and normal perception. This "sniper view" and "helmet view" tend to be active simultaneously, the former as a small screen in the main display. Calculations are carried out to determine the distances of objects in view and even their height above the legionary's current position. Further calculations are performed to estimate bullet drop according to gun settings, distance and weather conditions, which is displayed as a translucent line from the barrel. Other sensors identify radiation (as a digital glow over an object), ambient pressure and temperature. Most importantly, motion sensors can identify the direction of moving objects close to human size or larger. This is translated as a mini-map in the legionary's HUD. Finally, the computer can take over to acquire, follow and eliminate targets when it would be otherwise impossible for the soldier to do it alone, this occurs automatically and seamlessly from the point of view of the soldier.
- Display: Information from the internal and external sensors of the lorica must be presented in a useful format to the legionary. While the limbs and digits provide tactile feedback, the majority of data comes to the operator through a holographic HUD built into the helmet. The holographic viewscreen is arranged in several tactical layers for easy access. The images seen by the soldier are fed directly onto his retinas. There is no actual screen inside the helmet. The first tactical layer is an environmental display, a high-definition, real-time representation of what the soldier would be seeing without his helmet; vision is not obscured as most helmets do and it is as if no helmet is being worn at all - except for the fact that the image is projected in such a way as to bypass optical defects, giving the soldier the vision of someone with flawless eyesight, such as no human as ever naturally possessed. This representation is integrated with the next tactical layer which enhances the images, with infrared data, radiation sources, electrical currents, and magnetic fields clearly identified. A third tactical layer digitally displays: sight focus (as a reticule), ammunition, object distance, relative object height, identification as friend or foe, and a mini-map simply locating moving objects around the legionary.
- Medical Systems: Courtesy of the Inca, Roman soldiers are equipped with a wide variety of medicines and drugs that Roman scientists could not fathom. A substance structurally similar to morphine can provide up to four days of continuous pain relief, while another drug aids the body in healing wounds (at almost six times the normal rate). An artificial form of norepinephrin, combined with a cocktail of other drugs can be administered to put the soldier into, what the Romans call, Praxis Divis, an elevated state of adrenaline high. Reflexes are multiples faster than normal, muscles operate above their normal capacity (important even with the exoskeleton active since quick muscle movements allow the exoskeleton to react more quickly), and many soldiers attest to perceiving the passage of time at a slower rate, attributable to more rapid mental activity. Although this can only be maintained for a maximum of five minutes, at the risk of stopping the heart, it is an incredibly useful addition to a legionary's arsenal. Another drug can be repeatedly administered to keep a soldier active continuously for up to three days, while his dietary needs for the same period are provided by a nutritious organic solution. Lastly, there is a drug of which most soldiers and civilians know very little, and most of what they know is a distortion of the truth. This final drug is injected without the soldiers knowledge if the vital sensors in the suit detect that the soldier is feeling worn down, dissatisfied or particularly unhappy. Once administered, it instantly elevates levels of motivation and provides the soldier with a greater resolve to accomplish his tasks. This eliminates one of the most important factors in the capabilities of an army, one which has arguably won and lost more battles than any other factor - the will of the soldier. All of these medicinal compounds are stored within small vials inside the suit, and can be administered at the whims of the soldier, with the exception of the motivator.
Favored among legionaries is a combination of the Nike laser rifle and Clanculum handgun. Somewhere around 62% of all soldiers take that equipment. In public ceremonies, it is the standard armament of legionaries and is currently considered most reflective of the Roman military aesthetic.
Fully equipped, a legionary can charge through a firefight and shrug off grenades, small arms fire and even glancing blows from tank shells. Their speed on the battlefield is legendary. Squads of legionaries have been known to cover eight km of enemy territory, wiping out most occupants, within a half of an hour. The accuracy afforded by their lorica's systems gives them nearly flawless performance on the field, taking down visible targets quickly and avoiding the costly error of friendly fire.
Conscription[]
The Auxilia used to be Rome's militia, populated by the poor and non-citizens. It was an ancient practice to grant Roman citizenship to foreigners who had served in the militia but Caesar Sulla abolished this practiced in his Edict of 212. Nevertheless, many non-citizens were drawn to the militia due to the promise of high wages and this force remained a crucial component of the Roman military centuries later. Despite this vital role, as technology increased, so did the cost of fielding armies. With the rising cost came an increase in the effectiveness of a single active soldier. Numbers of poorly trained troops started to mean little in comparison to a small group of professionals. Nevertheless, the emperors retained the Auxilia until its abolition in 1934 following World War II.
While the need for a standing militia has long passed into the annals of history, the government maintains a power of conscripting citizens by the law of auxilaria subito. The proportion of males forced into service by this action of state is at the Senate's discretion but cannot exceed 25% of adult males between the ages of 16 and 40.
Organization[]
Although the actual quantity of auxiliaries is a number that changed almost every year, since the Second Marian Reforms, the size of each auxiliary group was made constant.
The largest grouping of the auxiliaries is the Manipulus or regiment. A single manipulus is made up of 20 alari (wings) of 500 Comensati, the base soldier within the Auxilia. This last new word derives from the Latin "comes", meaning companion, as in "companion of the military".
Each manipulus would be led by a veteran soldier of the Imperial Legion, known as an Evocatus. This was meant to provide a cohesive chain of command despite the large number of potentially green recruits. Command over a single wing is given to a Dux or Praefectus Castrorum, depending on whether or not that wing will be mobile. This connects that wing either to that general's own legion or the prefect's own fort. This was another manner in which a legion could be customized and distinguished from other legions. The only legion that was never paired with any comensati was the 101st Legion of the emperor.
None of these methods of organization have changed, only delegated to occasions when conscription is active.
Equitatus (armored division)[]
Military cavalry were part of the early Republic's armed forces, but this division lacked attention as it was not vital to the army as a whole. This continued to be a deficiency for the Romans until Emperor Aegranus created The Legion's Heavy Cavalry division, dubbed the Equitatus. This division's Kataphracti heavy cavalry proved to be nearly unbeatable on the field of battle since other armies didn't have the firepower to penetrate their thick armor. As armor and weapons technology advanced to the time of the Great War, the Equitatus had become dominated by its Celeres, or swift attack horses, counteracting the advantage firearms had over armor.
In 1820, the Equitatus saw a total reform to accommodate the shift from horses to powered armored vehicles. Within a decade, cavalry were completely phased out of Rome's military which would have a profound effect on the mobilization of armies for the next two centuries as other nations followed the Roman example.
Organization[]
The Equitatus has always been divided into cohortes (cohorts) of sizes that varied according to the type of unit that constituted its ranks. Heavier units were in less populated cohorts and lighter units in denser cohorts. Today, a cohort of tanks has a unique composition. Cohors Flagrantes I, for example, has 60 TF-124 Flamethrower Tanks while Cohors Flagrantes VI consists of 20 TF-124s and 30 R-127 Medium Tanks. Leading a cohort of tanks is a Venator (hunter). The role of the Equitatus was and always will be that of mobile assaults, taking advantage of their speed and agility on the battlefield. By consequence, the military command has viewed its cohorts as hunting parties of sorts, seeking out weak points or targets and rapidly striking.
Praesidium Imperium (national guard division)[]
While not has highly trained as legionaries, nor with access to as advanced technology, the castellanarum (National Guardsmen) are equally as important to the empire's defense. They operate the static defenses that dot the Empire, especially walls and non-legionary bases and forts. The Praesidium (Roman National Guard) however most resembles the Legion as all soldiers are professionals, though only to a degree. Despite not being as highly trained as soldiers in the Roman Legion, the National Guard has historically seen far less deaths due to the added protection of always operating out of static defenses.
The members of the National Guard are controlled by the Legatus that leads their continent of residence, through their direct control of the Praefecti Castrorum.
Organization[]
There are currently 3,000,000 castellanarum in the Praesidium, commanded by exactly 3,000 Praefectus Castrorum, their only CO. Most Castra (Bases) are led by one Praefectus and so each is manned by 1,000 professional troops. All troops are specialized for a certain aspect of defending the base, and so the thousand men are an assortment of infantrymen, artillerymen, armored troops and operators. All bases are heavily armed and armored, often making use of electromagnetic systems for shielding and surveillance, and having upwards of 10 heavy artillery emplacements, along with at least 40 light artillery pieces and about 500 gun-emplacements along the base's walls. Except when part of a city, it is usually illegal to get within one km of a Castrum, coming within only a few hundred meters makes the soldiers no longer liable for shooting at the intruder. Furthermore, certain high-security Castra have a "shoot on sight" policy.
As well as single Praefectus forts, there are a few examples of forts with multiple commanding officers and battalions. Examples of these are the Cimbrian Provincial Praetorium and the Praetorium of Jerusalem, with three and two Praefectus respectively. Furthermore, in the case of walls, there are usually about one Praefectus per 1000 km, with for example 2 Praefectus Castrorum along the Great Judean Wall.
The largest and most important Castrum is the Castrum Italium, located partly inside of a mountain near Mediolanum (Milan). It consists of four battalions, so 4000 soldiers and is generally considered to be the foremost military base in the world. Founded originally in the 1000's to protect the capital during another civil war, the base has been continually kept at the head of all military technologies. Rumors abound about this legendary building, including speculations on top secret research being performed there, and so it is a source of much attention in motion pictures, all in a positive light.
In addition to the 4000 Castellanae and four Praefecti, thousands of members of the Munus Indicius Romanus as well as 1 legion reside there. Given its incredibly high security, and location of importance, it has one secondary function. In the event that, God forbid, the capital itself might be placed in danger, the entire Roman government can use it as a retreat zone and bunker. As the base is hardened against every weapon designed by man, it is without a doubt the safest place on the planet in the event of war, nuclear attack or meteor strike.
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