What were Roman Marines like?

[Anonymous]

I was wondering I keep hearing of the Roman marines on various boards I know who they are and they started out similar to US marines but I was wondering what was their training like, did they ever do guard duty off ship, did they ever fight on land, were they a separate branch of the military or were they tied to the army in some way. <p>"Cry 'Havoc' and let slip the dogs of war!" -Shakespeare:JuliusCaesar</p><i></i>

[Carlton Bach]

we don't really know.<br>
<br>
The fleets were a separate branch, and the soldiers fighting on shipboard were most likely part of the fleets in the Augustan era, which means non-citizen troops equal in status with auxiliaries, not legionaries. In Republican times this may well have been different.<br>
<br>
As to their equipment - see thread I can't help you there.<br>
<br>
As to their training I don't think much is known, but the flweet at Misebnum had an 'armatura' collegium which most likely is somehow connected to that aspect (it has been speculated that these were organisations of campidoctores - weapons trainers - or of some kind of drill or display squads, or, more fancifully, elite commandos). The fact that a piece of beach near the city was called 'Miliscola' in Italian might (no more than might) indicate they used quite some space, so they may have had to do with drill. <p></p><i></i>

[Praefectusclassis]

Hi there, we've had an interesting discussion about marines a while ago (see this thread).<br>
The Republic is relatively easy. Roman ships prolly had a permanent garrison for protection of the ship and boarding duties. These troops were regularly reinforced by legionaries.<br>
In the empire: well...we don't know, but since that previous discussion, I've been doing more research and it <em>might</em> be that there were separate marines.<br>
Volker: were did you find info on the armatura collegium? I don't presume you mean the custodes armorum, do you? <p>Greets<br>
<br>
Jasper</p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Or was he found at Herculaeum? He had a pompeii type gladius with crossed belts. <p></p><i></i>

[Carlton Bach]

it's in a locally found insciption - I can't recall offhand. I researched military collegia for my MA and collated all inscriptions to 2000, and this one was interesting because of its possible connection to a placename.<br>
<br>
I'll try and dig it out, but my thesis is sleeping in a box in the cellar ATM, so you may have to wait a bit (going thru very busy month now, will be better in March)<br>
<br>
Volker <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

I do know that they used a hook on a long stick to rip enemy sails. <p></p><i></i>

[Praefectusclassis]

Yup, that's from Caesar, but in his case we know for sure they were legionaries embarked on his fleet. Why? Because he says so <p>Greets<br>
<br>
Jasper</p><i></i>