page_title: Roman army of the mid-Republic
section_title: Equipment
hierarchical_section_title: Roman army of the mid-Republic / Army structure / Legionary infantry / Equipment
caption_attribution_description: Espadas cortas con antenas atrofiadas procedentes de las necrópolis de «La Osera» y «Cardeñosa», ambas en la provincia de Ávila (España). Pertenecen a los inicios de la Segunda Edad del Hierro, Cultura de las Cogotas-II
context_page_description: The Roman army of the mid-Republic, also called the manipular Roman army or the Polybian army, refers to the armed forces deployed by the mid-Roman Republic, from the end of the Samnite Wars to the end of the Social War. The first phase of this army, in its manipular structure, is described in detail in the Histories of the ancient Greek historian Polybius, writing before 146 BC.
  The central feature of the mid-Republican army was the manipular organisation of its battle-line. Instead of a single, large mass as in the Early Roman army, the Romans now drew up in three lines consisting of small units of 120 men, arrayed in chessboard fashion, giving much greater tactical strength and flexibility. This structure was probably introduced in ca. 300 BC during the Samnite Wars. Also probably dating from this period was the regular accompaniment of each legion by a non-citizen formation of roughly equal size, the ala, recruited from Rome's Italian allies, or socii. The latter were about 150 autonomous states which were bound by a treaty of perpetual military alliance with Rome.
caption: Drawing of one of the earliest known exemplars of the gladius design, from the Cogotas II culture of Iron Age Iberia (ca. 700 BC). Note the blade's characteristic narrowing "waist"
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