Field of Mars

Cost 900
Repair cost 360
Repair cost if ruined 720
Building Chain (Antony's Rome (Emperor Edition), Lepidus' Rome (Emperor Edition), Octavian's Rome (Emperor Edition), Pompey's Rome (Emperor Edition), Rome, Rome (Caesar in Gaul), Rome (Hannibal at the Gates))
Description

Serving in the Roman Legions was originally part of the duties of a property-owning citizen. Slaves, freedmen and criminals were never given arms. The citizen Legions would be called up to serve for a campaign season. They were a militia who needed some training before battle. They were deployed as hoplites, fighting in Greek-style as a phalanx. Over time, the military system evolved with the introduction of the manipular system and then the later Marian Reforms. The end result was a professional force; by the 1st century BC citizens joined the Legions as a job for life. The need to keep the army and its commanders busy and away from Roman politics must have influenced Rome's permanent interest in conquest and expansionism!