Western Civilization I / Unit 7 WC1 0617 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Professional Legion: Twenty Years, a Bonus, and Land
Captions available
The idea
Augustus made the army professional: regular pay, twenty years plus five in reserve, a bonus of thirteen years' pay and land. A legion, the anchor's fifty-four hundred infantry and one hundred twenty cavalry, was self-sufficient and drilled constantly.
In practice
Cohorts under centurions risen from the ranks.
Where people slip
More than half died before retirement. The bonus was the promise, not the norm.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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