Roman Republic Military

Roman Republic Military research papers reveal that as the Roman Republic acquired vast territories around the Mediterranean, the requirement for policing the borders became ever more acute. Roman legions were permanently stationed in locations ranging from Syria to Britain. Monthly pay for a soldier was the equivalent of a few hundred dollars, a respectable amount in that day. However, a soldier's primary goal was the opportunity for looting. Thus, it was in the financial interest of individual soldiers to serve under a competent commander who aggressively pursued military operations. Since a soldier usually spent his entire career in the same legion, he often identified his interests with and, consequently, his loyalty to the local military commander and not with the Roman state. Thus, legion troops were not only usually happy to follow their commanders into battle, they were likewise favorably disposed to follow the same man if he marched on Rome to overthrow the state. (Caesar's leadership and legions are an excellent example of this, although other commanders-e.g., Pompey Magnus-enjoyed the same support in pursuit of their ambitions.) Legates were still chosen from the Roman Republic Senate membership. However, many of them brought their political disagreements with them to their military posts and were not averse to using these assets for political purposes.