Roman soldiers were fighting men, first and foremost. Constant and rigorous training kept them at peak conditions, and ready for action at any time.

See photographs of the Roman army in training

Marching and Physical Training

Part of the army's training was a twenty Roman miles (18.4 miles) march (to be completed in five hours) carrying a full pack of weapons, shield, food rations, a cooking pot and a short spade, along with their personal kit.

Weapons Training

Roman soldiers attended weapons training every morning.

Roman soldiers practised hand-to-hand combat with wooden swords, spears and shields that were deliberately much heavier than those they used in battle.

They trained with dummy swords and javelins made of wood. A javelin is a light spear that is thrown by hand.

Along with the basic training exercises that a soldier learned during training they also learned specific drills and formations.