What was the average life expectancy of a Roman soldier?

The Roman lifespan for men was 41 years. The entry age for the Roman army was 18-22. So after his 25 years of service, he would been 43-47 years old — provided he had managed to live beyond the average life expectancy.

How did soldiers die in medieval times?

From Wikipedia, but marked as “Citation Needed”: “In most medieval battles, more soldiers were killed during the retreat than in battle, since mounted knights could quickly and easily dispatch the archers and infantry who were no longer protected by a line of pikes as they had been during the previous fighting.”

How long would a typical medieval battle last?

Even with a huge influx of adrenaline and the fear of death a soldier could not last for more than 5 such direct duels, before having to rest behind the lines at least for one hour and most important to drink. Soldiers who fought not in close combat like archers, did not last for more than 20 minutes at a time.

What was the average age of a Roman?

Here’s the problem. Aside from the fact that the data is terrible, this 35-year life expectancy is the average. Meaning it factors in the ancient world’s very high child mortality rate: Up to half of all Roman kids died before the age of 10.

What was medieval combat really like?

Much like the lives of medieval executioners, medieval soldiers witnessed blood, carnage, and death on an up-close-and-personal level. Accounts of the great medieval battles not only detail soldiers’ lives and the conditions they faced, but also reveal the damage they inflicted on their enemies and noncombatants alike.

How long did old battles last?

What happened to the dead bodies after battles?

After being stripped of their belongings the dead, and occasionally still barely living, would often be buried in mass graves (sometimes with bodies from both sides unceremoniously thrown in). However, there are accounts of battles where thousands of bodies were simply left to the elements.

Why was Roman life expectancy so low?

It had high infant mortality, a low marriage age, and high fertility within marriage. Perhaps half of Roman subjects died by the age of 5. Of those still alive at age 10, half would die by the age of 50.