Romans

The Roman army in the Netherlands (57 BC 450 AD)

There were Roman soldiers in the Netherlands from 57 BC to 450 AD. The Roman army was the first professional fighting force active here. Unlike the native populations, the Romans kept civilians and military separated. The army was tightly organised and hierarchical.

The legions formed the core of the Roman army. These consisted of approximately 5000 soldiers (legionaries), recruited from among Roman citizens. Both serving men and officers received a fixed wage and were in the army for most of their life. A man without Roman citizenship could gain it by serving in the auxiliaries.

Legionaries were equipped with a suit of armour (lorica hamata or segmentata), a javelin (pilum), a short sword (gladius) and a shield (scutum). Much of this standard equipment has been lost. The museum has original examples of a cooking pot and a dagger (pugio). A special exhibit is the preserved sole of a Roman legionarys shoe, complete with iron studs.