The Roman legions were formed in the first instance of citizen soldiers, who yet had been made to submit to a rigid discipline, and to feel that in that submission lay their strength.

Summary

This quote suggests that the power and strength of the Roman legions stemmed from the fact that they were initially made up of citizen soldiers. These individuals, though they held the rights of citizens, were subjected to strict discipline under the military structure. By submitting to this discipline, they came to understand that their collective strength lay in their ability to work together as a coherent and disciplined force. Thus, the quote implies that the success and effectiveness of the Roman legions were rooted in the commitment of the citizen soldiers to the discipline imposed upon them.

Topics