A day in the life of a Roman soldier - Robert Garland

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A first watch meant guarding baggage animals while staying alert for ambushes instead of sleeping.
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A Roman legionary marched carrying over 20 kilograms of armor and weapons before adding his backpack.
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Roman legions revolted over pay and excessively long service, and charismatic negotiation stopped the mutiny.
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At Teutoburg Forest, torrential rain, forest cover, and a blocked escape trapped the marching Roman legions.
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The sarcina carried food and camp-building tools: a spade, saw, pickaxe, and basket.
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Roman legionaries typically served 25 years, received three gold coins on enlistment, and could retire with land.
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In Germania, Roman soldiers built causeways and bridges where roads ended in marshes and forests.
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For an ordinary Roman soldier, imperial glory mattered less than surviving to retire, marry, and farm.
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Nearly 5,000 men filled a Roman legion, split into cohorts of 500 and centuries of 80 to 100.

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