ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Late Roman army

The late Roman army was a group of grown-ups who wore special clothes and carried weapons to protect the Roman Empire. These grown-ups were called soldiers or legionaries. The Roman Empire was a big place with many people living in it. Sometimes, there were bad people who wanted to hurt the Romans and take their things. This is where the late Roman army would come in to protect their land and people.

The late Roman army was different from the earlier Roman army because they had to fight against new enemies who were more difficult to defeat. They needed to be stronger and more organized to win battles. To do this, they changed the way they fought and trained their soldiers.

The late Roman army had many types of soldiers, including archers who could shoot arrows from far away, cavalry who rode horses and could move quickly, and infantry who were on foot and fought in close combat. They also had special units like the Praetorian Guard, who protected leaders like the emperor.

The late Roman army had to be very good at working together to win battles. They had formations like the testudo, which was like a giant turtle shell made up of soldiers with shields. This would protect them from enemy arrows and spears. The Roman army also used different tactics like ambushes, flanking, and siege warfare to win battles.

The late Roman army had a lot of cool gear too. They had helmets to protect their heads, armor to protect their bodies, and swords to fight with. They also had things like spears, bows and arrows, and catapults. These weapons were very important for the late Roman army to win battles.

In summary, the late Roman army was a group of grown-up soldiers who protected the Roman Empire from bad people who wanted to hurt them. They were different from earlier Roman soldiers because they had to fight against new enemies. They had different types of soldiers, special formations, and cool gear. They had to work together and use tactics to win battles.