The renowned historian Edward Gibbon is often quoted for his vivid descriptions of the Roman empire. In his great work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, he describes how the Roman army became lax in discipline and exercise. \"It is the just and important observation of Vegetius, that the infantry was invariably covered with defensive armor, from the foundation of the city to the reign of the emperor Gratian. The relaxation of discipline, and the disuse of exercise, rendered the soldiers less able, and less willing, to support the fatigues of the service; they complained of the weight of the armor, which they seldom wore: and they successively obtained the permission of laying aside both their cuirasses and their helmets. The heavy weapons of their ancestors, the short sword, and the formidable pilum, which had subdued the world, insensibly dropped from their feeble hands. As the use of the shield is incompatible with that of the bow, they reluctantly marched......
Join Now or Login to view the rest of this paper.
Approximate Word Count: 500
Approximate Pages: 2 (260 words per double-spaced page) |