Impedimenta
There were two types of military supplies: the supplies that the army carried in the field and the supplies that arrived from the home front. The Romans used two different terms to indicate the two types of supplies. The supplies that were transferred in a convoy along with the soldiers, the “initial supplies”, were called impedimenta. These were moved for example via supply train or convoy. At least 1,400 donkeys and hundreds of wagons accompanied each legion (Roth 1998). The second type of supplies, those arriving from the home front, was called commeatus (Roth 1998).
The impedimenta were an integral part of the army and followed it everywhere. As in other armies, this equipment was transported on wagons and pack animals, especially donkeys. It included the soldiers’ personal equipment and food. There were several differences between the Roman military transport network and that of other armies in ancient times: the fact that every soldier carried quite a heavy load, the uniformity of the equipment, and most important, the type of equipment that every legionary carried on his back.
The Roman legionary was probably the first soldier in history to carry, not only his personal equipment, but also additional equipment. In this he resembled the modern soldier more than the regular warrior in ancient times. Every eighth legionary (contubernium) received a donkey that carried the tent and accompanying equipment, something that recalls the transport of equipment carried by all-terrain vehicles in modern armies.