The Roman Military
The Roman Military Reforms
The Marian Reforms
By Gaius Marius
The Marian Reforms were reforms of the ancient Roman army implemented in 107 BC by the statesman Gaius Marius, for whom they were later named. The reforms originated as a reaction to the military and logistical stagnation of the Roman Republic in the late 2nd century BC. These were the reforms that gave birth to the Roman Imperial Army and the cohort system.
Why were the Marian Reforms put into place?
The maniple militia used since the Samnite Wars emerged as inadequate for the demands of the expanding Roman territory. Marius proposed radical alterations with the intention of creating a more professional, permanent and dynamic Roman army. The reforms revolutionized the Roman military machine, introducing the standardized legionary, the cohort unit and drastically altered the property and weaponry requirements for recruitment.
The Augustan Reforms
By Emperor Augustus
The refroms made by Augustus further improved that of made by Gaius Marius. It gave the cohort system more leadership and roles within its ranks. It made the Roman imperial army even more organized and tried to patch up its past short comings. it also gave the roman soldiers benefits as to avoid any civil wars.
Why were the Augustan Reforms put into place?
After the Marian Reforms was put into place and the cohort system established, the loyalty of the legionaires no longer pointed towards the Republic but to their generals. This has left the Republic damaged and several civil wars came about. The number of legions that currently stood at that time was also too many. This reform helps solve those problems by deceasing the number of legions and by making the cohort system even more organized.
The Diocletian Reforms
By Emperor Diocletian
Throughout the course of the third century A.D. the Roman Empire was subjected to repeated attack, both by Germanic tribes and by the armies of a resurgent Persia. Compounded by an ever-deteriorating internal state of affairs, the result of frequent civil conflict, Roman military efficiency declined. With Rome still having several enemies, Emperoro Diocletian had to act. The Diocletian Reforms made a bold reorganization of the military.
Why were the Diocletian Reforms put into place?
By the time of Diocletian’s accession as emperor, four great problems had arisen in the military sphere: (1) deteriorating discipline within an army committed to self-aggrandizement, (2) deficient military capability of politically appointed commanders, (3) inadequate tactical mobility of army units, (4) divestment of the limites to provide contigents for emergency field armies. These reforms would solve all of these problems.