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<blockquote data-quote="Eben" data-source="post: 156556" data-attributes="member: 1379">The strenght of a roman army came from the fact that they tried not to commit to many legionaries, but they committed their allies. They considered the glory greater if no Roman blood was shed.I a medieval world there was no such thing as a standing army. Armies were mustered when there was a need. In particularily violent times there would be large bands of mercenaries available. The Landsknecht in the early rennaisance are perhaps the most colourful example. Large standing armies are something of a mixed blessing. They are there when you need them and they are better equiped and trained than levy troops, but they are high maintenance and can become a liability (i.e. Rome's civil wars and the later Imperial period.)How do you go about to raise an army? Depends on your organisation: feudal lords are summoned by their lord to comle forth and bring their retinue. If the lords are obiedient, the army will be large, if not...Roman armies were a combination of professional legionaries (citizen legionaries before Marius' reforms and auxiliarie troops supplied by allies.) Carthagian armies were mostly hired mercenaries.Raising an army can also be influenced by the person who tries to raise it. During the hundred days campaign, Napoleon raise quite an army, thanks to the many volunteers. Louis XIV had a lot more problems raising an army at the end of the Wars of the Spanish succesion.Since your empire in driven by religion, I would gues this would be a good basis to recruit troops. But probably these would be low grade levy troops.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Eben, post: 156556, member: 1379"] The strenght of a roman army came from the fact that they tried not to commit to many legionaries, but they committed their allies. They considered the glory greater if no Roman blood was shed. I a medieval world there was no such thing as a standing army. Armies were mustered when there was a need. In particularily violent times there would be large bands of mercenaries available. The Landsknecht in the early rennaisance are perhaps the most colourful example. Large standing armies are something of a mixed blessing. They are there when you need them and they are better equiped and trained than levy troops, but they are high maintenance and can become a liability (i.e. Rome's civil wars and the later Imperial period.) How do you go about to raise an army? Depends on your organisation: feudal lords are summoned by their lord to comle forth and bring their retinue. If the lords are obiedient, the army will be large, if not... Roman armies were a combination of professional legionaries (citizen legionaries before Marius' reforms and auxiliarie troops supplied by allies.) Carthagian armies were mostly hired mercenaries. Raising an army can also be influenced by the person who tries to raise it. During the hundred days campaign, Napoleon raise quite an army, thanks to the many volunteers. Louis XIV had a lot more problems raising an army at the end of the Wars of the Spanish succesion. Since your empire in driven by religion, I would gues this would be a good basis to recruit troops. But probably these would be low grade levy troops. [/QUOTE]

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