Meet Rome's Scouts - Special Forces of the Legions DOCUMENTARY

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In this live history documentary we bring to life the activities of a Roman Scout mission. This begins with an overview of Rome's ancient intelligence services which was composed of three layers: the procursatores, the exploratores, and the speculatores.
We then recreate a possible scout mission carried out along the Roman frontier of the Rhine. Here a scout mission is prepared to explore the potential route of the main army which seeks to march out into the lands of Germania.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:18 Rome's Intelligence Network
07:36 Planning a Scout Mission
10:52 Scouting the River
14:04 Scouting the Mountain Pass
16:32 Return to Base
Credits
Research: Chris Das Neves
Writing: Chris Das Neves
Narration: Guy Michaels
Reenactment: Veteres Milites
Sources and Suggested Reading
The Roman Army by Adrian Goldsworthy
Roman Warfare by Adrian Goldsworthy
Intelligence Activities in Ancient Rome by Rose Mary Sheldon
Exploratio: Military & Political Intelligence in the Roman World from the Second Punic War to the Battle of Adrianople By N. J. E. Austin, N. B. Rankov
Spies and spying in Caesar’s “Bellum Gallicum” by Jane Crawford
The "Missing Dimension" of C. Julius Caesar by Amiram Ezov
The Scouts of the Late Roman Army and a Disputed Etymology by Philip Rance
#UnitsOfHistory
#Rome
#Scouts

[@InvictaHistory]

Super excited to cover the Roman Scouts!!! Veteres Milites did an amazing job bringing this episode to life and its one of my favorite Live History episodes we have done so far thanks to the stunning atmosphere they were able to capture. What should we cover next?

[@MrSebba17]

What about the 'engineers', the architecti and immunes?

[@SasoriZert]

@@MrSebba17 Second this idea, I know most troops in a Roman army had engineer training as they help build camps on march and roads during times of peace. But I'd love to see the actual ones who spent the majority of their career as the main engineer

[@Campfire_Bandit]

This was fascinating! Would it be possible to look into the travelers along the Silk Road during a similar era? I know I've heard of a few Romans supposedly making the trip all the way to the Pass of the Jade Gate and beyond. I would absolutely watch a Daily Life of a Silk Road Merchant video, the idea that anyone saw both Han China and the Roman Empire in a single lifetime is incredible!

[@christopherthrawn1333]

​@@SasoriZert well said

[@MartinDurden]

Amazing video, truly.

[@Ksotilas]

I'd be scared as hell to be alone with a small scouting party far away from the main army walking across some wooded trail in a forest. Those scouts must have been some of the bravest men in the army.

[@aaronsanborn4291]

Scouts still exsist in today's armies. I spent a large chunk of my adult life as one.

[@aaronsanborn4291]

It's not that bad. I spent a large chunk of my adult life as a Scout in the Army working in units no more than 20 men and as few as 3 men

[@williamwallace5367]

Right? I would have at least wanted to be mounted. What use are scouts gathering info if they don't make it back to camp to give it to you.

[@WraithLK]

@@williamwallace5367 if they rode back on horseback it’d be a lot higher of a chance for the enemy to spot them and send their own horsemen after them as opposed to them just staying in the forests on foot

[@rancidcrawfish]

​@@aaronsanborn4291 modern scouts aren't anywhere near the same as scouts were even 100 years ago..let alone a couple thousand years

[@HAMMER_2.2]

This is the kind of content that really appeals to me. I wish we had a film series or tv series thay explored the adventures if the Roman military on the move. All the mundane tasks involved, the setting up and dismantling of camps, and especially the threats of hostile wild tribes and even wilder animals thay were so abundant back then.

[@Cindy4004]

Not film or TV but I would highly recommend S.P.Q.R. series by John Maddox Roberts(the books that take place outside Rome if your area of interest is limited to Roman military) and Medicus series by Ruth Downie. Both try to include the little details that help give a feel for their respective times.

[@BelloBudo007]

Yes it's beaut!!!

[@00Athus1]

Ah yes a Roman "Generation Kill" can't wait to see the adventures of Braddus Colbertia....

[@claireconolly8355]

Agreed!

[@jonbaxter2254]

Ah, the scouts. Going into terrain probably for the first time and meeting different races, religions and locations. How fascinating it must be.

[@WraithLK]

And terrifying

[@lost_porkchop]

I don't really think they got invited to too many parties

[@thereub8166]

Then plotting to erase them from the face of the earth. But only after a good bit of ruthless exploitation. 😂

[@steelwolf180]

Tribute to be the first to die.

[@garretth8224]

Ethnicities. We are all the same race aka the human race.

[@VosperCDN]

Such an amazing way to tell the story of the scouts. Just being alone in the farthest lands, days from the main army - would take a special kind of soldier.

[@Dogmeat1950]

What's funny is that I'm a Cavalry Scout in the U.S Army and the mission the Roman scouts did is more or less what we do today our trucks are our horses and we kick out small dismounted teams to Scout even further ahead. So we can info the Division and Brigade Commanders of what's in front of them.

[@henrik3056]

Aye same, I was thinking the same thing

[@faithful669]

Reconnaissance push and pull, go

[@regorflora7915]

Except that back then they don't have radios to report back info immediately to their commanders

[@sheepishlysheriff4164]

19 delta

[@A.Mardle]

For your next exercise, you will go forward 150 km on foot, wearing deerskin shoes or sandals, woolen clothes impregnated with lanolin, and carrying dried fruit and jerky, some cornmeal and a blanket. No radios, no helicopters, no arty or modern first aid kit. If the enemy catch you, they will either torture you to death or make you the star of a human sacrifice ritual. If you capture an enemy - or a local civilian - you may be expected to torture them for info. And then kill them quietly.

[@liviosinibaldi3632]

I am a wilderness guide in Southeast Asia, and I may only imagine how demanding was in those days scouting often unknown enemy lands!

[@mynameispro20]

so happy to see my countrymen from Romania contributing to this channel with it's already high quality content, even if some of my fellow countrymen say that dacians are mostly our ancestors, the roman footprints cannot be neglected. I respect your work and reenactments, keep up the good work!

[@nuttybar9]

The Romans ,As in Rome.

[@szymonbaranowski8184]

not only these Illyrians and others

[@RenegadeRanga]

This was pretty awesome, scouts don't get the credit they deserved in modern time. The volunteer re enactors is amazing.

[@Lopfff]

I was a scout for Caesar’s Fifth Legion. It was hard work, but rewarding

[@stalfithrildi5366]

In the Mohave?

[@IanHutchings_KTF]

Exceptional work with the Legionaries exploratores etc. Fantastic to see the equipment and armour in use. Thanks very much

[@davidhughes8357]

After over 40 years of the study of Roman military history your videos are just endespenible and a true GIFT!! There is no comparison. Makes me feel like that am at home. Seriously. Thank you all!!

[@nevisstkitts8264]

Excellent video! This could certainly be a recon mission during earlier Roman operations. By the late empire, Vegetius writes in Vol III of De re militari: The Commander would prioritize - " ... the most important thing to be careful about is to preserve secrecy about the places and routes by which the Army is to travel" The scouting mission would be planned together with the centurio exercitator, supported by the centurio speculatorum, centurio trecenarius, and the centurio speculatorum equitarum. Since it is a secret recon mission, the scouts (exploratores) would not wear Roman armor nor carry legion equipment or markings. No shiny things to glint in the sunlight. Dry provisions only, no fires. Their first duty would be to create detailed itinerary, listing distance, way points, points of interest, most likely on a wax tablet (cerae such as those found in Vindolanda) which could be quickly wiped clean. The equitarum would furnish horses for all exploratore per Roman doctrine. If they needed foot patrols once deployed, they would do so from their daily patrol base. The speculatore would caution the exploratore about looking out for enemy scouts or spies, the first of which would be expected monitoring the river crossing points, perhaps disguised as men fishing in the river. The exploratore would pole their boat (picta) slowly past those points until the speculatore who previously swam across the river at night captured the enemy from behind with a sack over the head. Those captured would be interrogated by the speculatore. Once enemy surveillance of the river crossing had been cleared, the exploratore would land on both sides of the crossing point and survey the crossing in detail and begin the itinerary. Only the leader of the exploratore would be aware that his recon force would be shadowed by two speculatore during their entire recon patrol. It is quite likely that the exploratore would leave part of their force hidden at the high vantage point and along hidden relay points until they were either recalled or the legion reached their OP. Pre-arranged fire and smoke would be used to signal critical alerts back along the itinerary. Once the recon was complete, the exploratore would send back a messenger group to the fort with the wax tablets and a qualified briefer. The watchers remaining in the field would expect to first see the legion-equipped extraordinarii, either mounted or on foot, or both, show up.

[@Zebred2001]

I imagine during the many Roman civil wars the activities of competing groups of speculatores was not too dissimilar to the intense geopolitical machinations of our Cold War.

[@henrik3056]

As a current 19D in the army, its really cool watching this video! Its interesting how these scouting missions and tasks have changed very little over the years

[@silverchairsg]

Some questions: -What would happen if one of them got injured seriously enough so they couldn't go on on their own? I guess they would get that guy to remain behind, maybe with another legionary to tend to his wounds if he could not survive on his own, and then pick him up on the way back? -What happens if the scouts run into enemies and get into a fight? Would they head straight back to camp at the first sign of enemy contact to report it? -What happens if the scouting party gets wiped out entirely and nobody reports back to camp? I guess they would have to send out another to find out what happens to them? -What happens if they run into civilians? Would they have to kill them to preserve secrecy? -Ancient armies used to pillage, which basically involves looting, stealing food, and having "fun" with the local women. Did the exploratores engage in this as well, if only to replenish their supplies?

[@stephena1196]

It's my understanding that an injured scout would be left behind and picked up by the main force as they passed by. Scouts would attempt to remain unobserved and avoid any contact with locals. The enslavement of locals and POWs would be done by the main force after the battle. Pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children would be killed, or just left behind, as they were of little ecconomic value as slaves. In punitive expeditions some hostages would be taken and the rest slaughtered. You have a bizarre idea of fun.

[@danielefabbro822]

Yes Yes They already knows there are enemies if scouts dont report at all. No. No.

[@henrik3056]

I would assume that Roman scouts would operate in similar ways as modern scouts, and would only engage if they knew they could beat the enemy. Otherwise they would avoid engagement

[@BrandonPilcher]

I love the re-enacted parts bringing the narration to life!

[@mikecimerian6913]

I can see the wisdom of picking elements from the ranks for scouting. It encourages alertness, develops resourcefulness, prevents corruption of scouts and prepared ambushes and maintains practical Roman interchangeability.

[@captaincole4511]

You forgot to mention Rome’s greatest scout . . . Arminius!

[@szymonbaranowski8184]

Rome focused to much on integrating people of higher birth instead of integrating these of their own roots. these were results

[@eduardoferreiradesa5716]

This is one of my favourites soo far. It is a subject that isn't talked very much and I would like to see more videos in the future. Great work :)

[@tonylicata7452]

Great video! Not only the best video I've seen, but this best info on the subject I've come across anywhere. Thanks.

[@charlesherbek7819]

Great recreation of dangerous but necessary work. You can feel the anxiety and dedication of the scouts.

[@samryan180]

Thank you for creating another amazing video! My family and I greatly enjoy them.

[@MagnaMater2]

My favourite scout was that scouting local - probably a 'speculator' - of the Gothic Wars, I think, he worked at Sirmium. He came, reported and scurried off and blended into the undergrowth as if he had never existed.

[@maxcasteel2141]

This is such an interesting topic I'd never thought much about. Loved it

[@thedudeabides3138]

This was fascinating, thank you. Really appreciated the real life enactment to accompany the narration.

[@jezusbloodie]

What an absolute epic video; great writing, excelent reenactment

[@justanotherhuman7488]

Amazing! Continue to create, this is an amazing production.

[@elxaime]

"Wait! We're not here to fight. 'Advance until resistance is met.' That is our orders. That is what we do." "Why not? The boys are ready, aren't you, boys? Let's have a go. Come on!" "PULLO!"

[@militaryhistory569]

Wonderful video! I hope you keep making great educational videos like this!!!

[@davidb.4415]

Nice video as always! Keep up the great work!

[@anonymzs]

Excellent video! I really appreciate all the effort that went in to this one. You should consider something along the lines of “live reenactment” in the title, just a thought. That was the coolest part of the video IMO, these actors are great and their equipment is super cool

[@claireconolly8355]

Just brilliant re-enactments thank you so much for all your hard work

[@Lisa-ol1ih]

Amazing job on this video!!

[@CountRedrain]

That was so inmersive I loved it!

[@marcdavis4509]

Really great information and thanks to the reenactors

[@timwooten7165]

Loved this. Would love to see more on logistics, intelligence units, engineers especially

[@-RONNIE]

Thanks for the information in this video ⚔️

[@hamzapetridis206]

Amazing video, thank you!

[@jeffreygraf3358]

Well done! As usual.

[@fd15_09]

Great content!! Keep it up ❤

[@tonynapoli5549]

Thanks for sharing very interesting subject

[@LetsSeeYourKungFu]

@InvictaHistory and @VeteresMilites...a match made in heaven. So good

[@vaughanjones5933]

I want to hear about the specialist legion 'Suppositories' that would squeeze themselves into tight holes, burrowing in to await for enemy movements.

[@christopherthrawn1333]

Excellent work here

[@cristianosorio4402]

Nice Video amazing information about ancient Roman and his light infantry speciallized in recon task.

[@pinatajuju4471]

Excellent episode! Very good 👍

[@zulubeatz1]

A great choice of subject. Well done !

[@mannyplacencia5034]

Great video Thank you

[@thomasgumersell9607]

I truly enjoyed this short video. Based on the Roman Scouts a fascinating look into their daily lives. As a Scout one had to keep themselves constantly searching for clues. Lest they bump into enemy combatants. 💪🏻🙏🏻✨

[@edieargueta]

EXCELLENT!!

[@jason4275]

Imagine being selected to be a scout after The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest when the romans return to the forest to confront the German tribes again.

[@szymonbaranowski8184]

there were also Celtic tribes there

[@shanesnider8645]

Badass! Cheers from Texas!! Very thoughtful

[@trowachess]

Commenting on how clean the kitchen looks!

[@cj-hw3pv]

Right, if you watched the tour of his apartment way back when, you can really appreciate the growth in kitchen status

[@gordonyork6638]

Well done.

[@Zac9]

In response to the start of the video before the advertisement, If you walk every day, eat a clean diet, you'll be strong like these roman boys. The human body is strong naturally and will adapt to any situation

[@lokischildren7862]

A excellent video

[@ragemanomf8669]

Incredible

[@evancurtis4215]

awesome video

[@anontar6316]

amazing video and awsome to see the guys in the video are from Romania very close to where I live :) And by that I really recommend people to visit Sibiu in Transilvani and other cities such as Brasov that have a strong medieval history and old town centers :)

[@VladVlad-ul1io]

From Sibiu? Beautifuuul city. Love it.

[@samurguybriyongtan146]

I’m loving reading one of your sources: Exploratio. Very informative hand interesting. One take away is how ‘reactive’ Rome tended to be. They knew they were the biggest kid on the block and if they were screwed wtih, they would attack. Seemingly there were fewer proactive actions, on the whole.

[@tommyrq180]

Roman scouts missed the Teutoberg Forest ambush. That was a low point. Sometimes a scout fell prey to disinformation. Or they didn’t return to pass the word. Not having radios (!) the “passing the message” part was harder than it might seem. Also good scouts tend to operate independently at times or didn’t really know the commander’s intent. Tough job. But tougher when you’re an empire and everyone is basically out to get you. 😅

[@barbaraskinner4924]

Very enjoyable

[@sombra6153]

Excellent presentation! Without a whole lot of details left for us to reference, we still have to take into consideration that recon principles are as old as warfare itself. I’m curious to know if recon elements of the legions left armor back at the camp, used any forms of camo, 18:32 or either dressed or carried apparel to blend in to the areas they were scouting? As movement to contact would have been counterproductive, not being seen or heard would be a priority for accomplishing the mission. Just as the video depicts the scouts finding a potential enemy campsite, so could the enemy find evidence of theirs and anything Roman, including boot prints might be a dead giveaway.

[@pendantblade6361]

Man I'd love to see Roman camp equipment. That canteen looks neat.

[@robbabcock_]

Awesome!⚔

[@mohamed-fb9vt]

Good video

[@ilmari1452]

I'd only heard of the scouts for one reason before: the protagonist of Lindsey Davis' great Flavian-era detective series, Marcus Didius Falco, is an ex-scout who served in Britain, and he references his past life quite a bit.

[@keepinitsk8a516]

Having actors is a great addition.

[@bryansmith1920]

I was attracted to this vlog, because I am a bit of a military nut first , and a Duke of Wellington Fan, His Scouting officers under Colquhoun(sorry to spell it longhand but it's a name of note in itself)Grant, Stopped him from making a pigs ear of Spain but let him down in the 100 days, So now Mac-Duff lead on

[@VillainVanHex]

Please please PLEASE, make a video or perhaps a small series about egypts pre-dynasty era of Zep Tepi and Shemsu-Hor. I know its mythical, but it would be soo amazing to see it told by your channel!

[@knightshousegames]

Feels like using auxiliaries for one's scouts feels like easy way for those troops to desert if the so chose "Alright, we need a couple of exploritores" "Hey, I'll go" ...and he was never seen again...

[@MikeWhiskyTango]

Just wondering, but wouldn't the scouts be dressed as light infantry. They would have no need for the scutum or any large shield. Armor seems pointless because they would not be acting as a fighting force. I would have thought skirmisher garb would be more practical.

[@PSDuck216]

Excellent production! But for one gripe: who the hades is that trooper sticking his sword into the ground? He gets extra latrine duty for a month! Sticking the blade into the ground dulls the fine edge that was supposed to be maintained. If the ground is at all moist, it promotes rust. Slovenly, trooper, inexcusable! Who do you think you are? A barbarian? Your blade is your friend. It will save your miserable life, and that of your comrades! Treat it with respect, will ya? Salvete!

[@cosmofasciano81]

It's a bit strange that these Scouts in the video don't carry any long distance a weapon such as Bow and Arrow. If their diet consisted partially in foraging, Bow and arrow would be essential.

[@aaronsanborn4291]

As a modern Scout we removed or secured anything that could make noise.

[@Lassisvulgaris]

Is done on any other patrols, as well....

[@pyeitme508]

Woah 😮

[@danielefabbro822]

There was a cool novel about Speculatores abd scouts of the Roman Empire during the reign of Trajan, exactly during the conquest of Dacia, modern Romania. Such passionate story. "A Hero for the Roman Empire" of Andrea Frediani. A good author, not of the caliber of Valerio Massimo Manfredi, buy still a good one. I advise it to those who likes the genre.

[@barbaraskinner4924]

Thanks for that.I do like to read a book about the Roan legions

[@stixgrim8064]

Well, now i have 20 min of quality content for bedtime :D need another 20 min from somewhere else.

[@juanzulu1318]

Do we have sources which suggest that there was a dedicated recon detachment? I would have assumed that this role was adhoc filled by light auxiliary cavalry

[@stevehammel2939]

I would think that any scouting done on foot and horseback would have be done without armor or helmets and even possibly with a different choice of clothing to reflect a nonmilitary presence.

[@carlgreene538]

Can you provide a link to the reenactors?

[@Misses-Hippy]

The scouts were the SAS or Special Forces of the Roman military.

[@khartog01]

Recon!

[@hebber1961]

The one thing I wonder about is getting the information back to camp. How and when do they decide to get information back quickly etc.

[@uxb1112]

Given that scouting for an army is usually somewhat of a stealthy event l did spend a little time wondering as to just what type of mission required the use of a suit of bright red armour. Going undercover in a circus or Gypsy encampment perhaps or standing in the middle of a fire?😊

[@umarfauzi7008]

The scouting system diagram at 3:28 reminds me of Attack on Titan

[@greencreekranch]

How to set up your recce gladius probably was quite the devisive topic back then

[@gavinkitchen1472]

Your AG1 segway & paid advertisement was the least subtle & most corniest thing I've seen The Scouts of the Roman Army were well provisioned but could you imagine what they could of achieved with the benefit of AG1. Gotta love it!

[@211212112]

With all we seemingly know about the Roman’s it is easy to forget that we really know very little about Romans besides the famous ones. So much about daily life we don’t know, we don’t know what a scout’s report looks like despite there probably being hundreds of thousands of such reports if not millions. Watching videos like these one hears often this or that little aside where the channel admits we really don’t know and this is just our best guess informed by a clue or two. I suppose any written word lasting two thousand years much of which were years of war is a small miracle.

[@juanzulu1318]

In a time without precise maps I would claim that scouting was a highly qualified task. It needed intellectual, geographical, mathematical etc skills and of course experience.

[@michaelwills1926]

Def an under-appreciated unit of the legion. I assume sound discipline requirements would have all the metal bits replaced by lighter and more discreet gears lashed down or otherwise secured. Surely it was that way and the details are simply lost to history. Establishing adjacent LP strung along the route would also have been a good way to forward intelligence back to the base camp in the event the scout unit be compromised. Well done 👍🏼

[@Matt-to3jo]

Terrain or enemy based recon, push/pull, classifying routes, PIRs CCIRs, displacement criteria, Salute report. Same shit different day.

[@ROBERTN-ut2il]

Anyone pick out the big error the scouts made? They returned by the same route - that's just asking to be ambushed. You take an alternative route. I'd also advise them to pull off the trail every several hours and set up an ambush position to bushwack anyone who tracking them. Rule 21 of Robert Rogers Ranger Rules "If the enemy pursue your rear, take a circle till you come to your own tracks, and there form an ambush to receive them, and give them the first fire"

[@carausiuscaesar5672]

Rosemary Sutcliffe wrote an excellent novel on this topic.

[@jeremyfredrick6435]

Where are the scenes filmed?

[@danielmejorado6098]

Were compasses used during Roman times?

[@aronmarkovits5396]

Where the hell do i sign up

[@Cozonac3000]

If I had to choose a job in the Roman Empire, I would be an architect/engineer. Building siege weapons, fortresses and bridges like Apollodorus of Damascus.