The ancient Roman Republic's legions were primarily infantry troops who had a large stake in defeating Carthage because they were land owners. As land owners they had a clear stake in preserving their wealth and defeating foreign threats. As mentioned earlier, the Roman military had developed a superior infantry formation called "legions". The legions were well disciplined soldiers who had a regular set of maneuvers that helped increase their chances in battles.
The land forces of Carthage were not as powerful as their naval forces. The armies of Carthage were mercenaries with no particular loyalty to Carthage other than the monies Carthage paid them.
Ancient Roman armies were called legions for a specific reason. In the days of the early ancient Roman republic, all property owning citizens were subject to be drafted into the military. The word legio meant "levy" of service or conscription or draft in our time. Thus those "legioed" formed legions.
Firstly, remember that a legion was the main unit of a Roman army. The Romans would naturally use their legions to conquer new territories. Therefore the legions helped Rome expand during the republic.
Firstly, remember that a legion was the main unit of a Roman army. The Romans would naturally use their legions to conquer new territories. Therefore the legions helped Rome expand during the republic.
Ancient Rome had a strong well disciplined land army, its legions were a force to be reckoned with. What Rome lacked was the ability to move its troops to places where it could establish a land military stance from which to fight the armies of Carthage. Commercial shipping and in fact most shipping in the Western Mediterranean Sea was controlled by Carthage's advanced naval fleets. The goal then was to build a naval fleet from scratch. In a war with immense pressure from Carthage, building a naval fleet from almost nothing was something Rome had to create and it did so, not without losses and time.
Legions was a common name for the armed forces of both the Roman republic and Roman Empire
Ancient Mysteries - 1994 Lost Legions of Rome 3-35 was released on: USA: 12 May 1996
They destroyed it. With their superior citizen legions and updated navy, Rome decided to end the existence of Carthage. Carthage had trouble also with their mercenary military over pay issues. Rome was also fearful of a resurgent Carthage and jealous, to a degree, of its commercial successes. So from 149-146 BC Rome leveled the city-state of Carthage.
These units are called "Legions".
The military power in the Roman republic was the same as it had always been -- the Roman army. Whoever led the army, or at least a few legions, could hope for supreme power if he wanted it. Men such as Marius, Sulla, Pompey and Caesar used their legions to gain power.
Hannibal was the general of Carthage who successfully won many battles on the Italian peninsula during the 2nd Punic War. His use of war elephants and an improved phalanx battle formation proved to be extremely effective against the Roman legions.
It was the she-wolf who breatfed Romulus and Remus. During the Republic it was the letters SPQR which stood for Senatum Populesque Romanum (The Senate and the Roman People). Sometimes SPQR was combined with the she-wolf. The emblems of the legions were variations of eagles.
To build bridges, fortifications, weapons, boats etc.