ROMAN MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY: THE SECRET WEAPON TO ANCIENT ROMANS BATTLEFIELD, A RED CLOAK.

 

When thousands of Roman soldiers marched toward you wearing red cloaks, you weren't just seeing an army. You were witnessing psychological warfare in action.

The Symbol Behind the Color

 

Roman military did not choose Red. There were profound religious significance in the Roman culture regarding the color itself, which was directly related to Mars, the war god and mythic predecessor of the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. To the civilization that considered itself as being warlike by nature and divinely blessed, red was the symbol of their martial essence, down to the core.

In the battlefield, the color red represented blood and greatness. The sight of a small mass of Roman infantry in like red hues to the enemy armies produced a psychological effect. The conflicting sides saw these troops being mighty, courageous and united, even before a weapon was pulled.

The Economic Reality of Red

 

However, it is here that this story is more interesting: Roman soldiers did not actually have uniforms in the modern use of the term. Pieces of art such as Pompeii frescoes reveal that Roman legionaries wore different colors such as white, grey, brown, and red. The army looked after their own clothing and as a result, soldiers could be sent a package by their families, so there was no top-down order, that only demanded red tunics.

Why then had red become so popular? Economics. The dye was possibly one of the cheapest dyes found in the ancient world, red dye created by the madder root. To ordinary legionaries who did not receive high salaries and whose tunics were easily dirty and worn, the easiest was based on the madder-dyed red. The dye was also very common in the Mediterranean and was therefore accessible in all the extensive areas of Rome.

The hierarchy of colors answered itself. Ordinary soldiers had simple madder red, and officers were able to afford more delicate red scarlet, and generals had the costly purple. This developed an eye system where by you could literally see rank by shade.

Mental Shock Favoring Excellent Uniformity.

Modern organizations struggle with what the Romans knew: that the visual cohesion that exists within an organization is more important than uniformity. Even though the individual soldiers could have been clad in various colored tunics beneath their armor, the effect was overwhelming. Combined with standard shields, armour, and even mixed clothes gave an impression of disciplined unity even the most mixed clothing, combined with the usual Roman formations such as the testudo (tortoise formation).

This wasn't accidental. Psychological warfare strategy was of great importance in Roman military strategy. Historians such as Tacitus of the ancient times explained how disciplined silence was applied by the Roman soldiers as they neared their foes, and then erupted into fierce battle cries when the right time came to startle the foes. This psychological plan was supported by the visual impression of the masses of troops in the similar tones.

Red cloak, known as sagum among soldiers, was also useful. It gave them immediate identification on the battlefields that were in a state of chaos and assisted soldiers in identifying their fellows. Nevertheless it delivered a very direct signal to foes: here you are dealing with the fantastic legions of Rome, not with here and there individuals.

The Battle of Tigranocerta: Psychology at Work.

At the battle of Tigris in 69 BC Roman general Lucullus had to deal with an army of the Armenians that was far bigger and bigger than his army. It is mentioned that King Tigranes used to taunt the small Roman army, saying that it was too many to be ambassadors, and too few to be an army. But Lucullus employed the tactics of the psyche and deception in strategy to emerge victorious.

Instead of rushing in the presence of the heavily armed and armored Armenian cavalry, Lucullus kept some of his troops in sight of them to distract attention as he dashed the enemy off with only two cohorts. Seeing this little fissure put on the run, the Armenians believed the Romans to be in flight and fear. Lucullus instead attacked their camp causing pandemonium and panic that spread among their whole army. Appearances and tactical versatility of the Roman armies, together with the knowledge of their leader in psychological warfare made the impossible possible.

What This Teaches Us Today

The Roman style of military appearance can teach us much much more than war in the ancient times. They integrated pragmatic thinking (cost-effective materials, long-lasting material, etc.) and psychological algorithms (scary look, visual cohesion, etc.). They did not require flawless uniformity so as to exude authority and unity.

Consider contemporary uses: the use of matching tones in sports teams, business branding that builds the visual image or the army squads that uphold the dress code. All these resonate with the Roman perception that collective visual appearance shapes the way that groups identify themselves as well as the way other people view them. The particular color may vary, but the psychological principles will be the same. You don't need perfection. You must possess sufficient consistency to have a difference.