Rome's army in the field

"The better the army, the worse the food.
I didn't think the Roman army was that good!"

With this witty statement, Asterix and Obelix - used to crispy roast wild boar - complain about their rations with the Roman legion. The Roman Vegetius was obviously of a somewhat different opinion. Two of his rules of warfare are: "Those who do not procure grain and food in advance will be defeated without weapons." Or: "If a camp is favourably laid out, the soldiers can live as carefree as if they were carrying a city with them everywhere."

The Imperium Romanum was not only built with the sword, but also with sandals, hooves and hoes. From the point of view of its enemies, Rome's army resembled a ravenous, iron dragon, which made its way inexorably through the landscape. The effectiveness of the Roman military was based on training, weaponry and tactics on the one hand, but also on their high mobility, the planned organisation of camps and well thought-out supplies on the other. But how was it possible to keep a force of hundreds of thousands of warriors going?

This is illustrated by the new model and hands-on exhibition "Rome's Army in the Field", which the kelten römer museum manching (celts romans museum manching) is presenting in cooperation with the Mules of Marius exhibition project. The first part of the interactive show, entitled "In the service of Rome", was a huge hit with young and old alike in 2022/2023. The second part is now dedicated to the mobility and logistics of the Roman military.

What distances did the legionaries have to march? What weight did they have to carry? How quickly was a Roman military camp set up? How many soldiers shared a tent or a parlour? How much grain did a Roman legion need? And how did supplies get to the front?

Answers to these and many other questions are provided by fascinating miniature landscapes, life-size drawings of Roman soldiers, faithful replicas you can touch and exciting hands-on stations - from a legionnaire's marching pack to a hand mill for grinding grain.

Last edited on 01.03.2025