Augustus and the Roman Army Reforms: Creating the Professional Legion

After decades of civil war, Augustus faced an army that was loyal to generals, not Rome. He disbanded 300,000 troops, created a standing army of 28 legions, fixed pay and pensions at 12,000 sesterces per legionary, established the Praetorian Guard at 9 cohorts, and stationed legions at the frontiers. We explore the aerarium militare, the Augustan military treasury funded by a sales tax and inheritance tax; the term of service set at 16 then 20 years; the donativum as a tool of loyalty; and the role of the princeps as commander-in-chief. We also touch on the clades Variana, the Varus disaster in the Teutoburg Forest, and the refusal to expand beyond the Rhine. A detailed look at how Augustus transformed a force of warlords into the backbone of an empire. #Augustus #RomanArmy #Legion #PraetorianGuard #AerariumMilitare #Teutoburg #Varus #ImperialReforms #Principate #PaxRomana #RomanHistory #Legionary #ResGestae #AugustanMilitary #Frontiers #RomanEmpire #AncientHistory #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo