Would a Roman legion defeat a medieval army?

Ultimately, the Romans would almost certainly win a hand-to-hand, face-to-face fight, but Medieval warfare no longer revolved around that, and the heavy Knights and Longbowmen would likely make short work of the Legions before they could close for battle.

How far could a Roman archer shoot an arrow?

Distance was always a limiting factor. At its longest range, a Roman composite bow could reach 165-230m, depending upon the quality of the bow and the archer. The range at which they were most effective as a weapon was 50-150m.

Did the Romans use composite bows?

Composite bows were adopted by the Roman Empire and were made even in the cold and damp of Britannia. They were the normal weapon of later Roman archers, both infantry and cavalry units (although Vegetius recommends training recruits “arcubus ligneis”, with wooden bows).

Did Romans use recurve bows?

For much of the history of the Ancient Roman Empire, the sagittariorum used in the Roman Army were Mercenaries from Crete, who used the recurved composite bow. It is a compact, and fairly powerful weapon, that bears many similarities to a modern sport bow.

Who was the best archer in Greek mythology?

In classical mythology, the best-known archers are Eros and Cupid, the Greek and Roman gods of love, respectively. They wield a bow with arrows that cause uncontrollable desire in whomever they hit. It’s a beautiful metaphor and what has made Cupid probably the most-depicted archer in art history.

What were Roman bows called?

Archus
In ancient Rome, the bow was given the Latin name Archus, while the arrows were called Sagitta. In Roman form, the bow took the design of a flexible wooden arc and string, with which fletched arrows (with stone or metal heads) could be fired.

How did Romans make bows?

In combat the Roman military used the composite bow. This was based around a wooden core, upon which animal sinew and horn had been carefully glued producing a recurved shape. “Ears” were then attached to the ends of the bow, protected by bone or antler. These acted as levers for the flexible parts of the limbs.