The Hastati were a class of infantry in the early Roman Republic's army who served as the backbone of the Roman military. The hastati were some of the poorest men of the legion, and they could only wield modest equipment such as their gladius short swords and their square shields; they were also made up of the younger men, as they were "hastily" assembled. On the battlefield, they often made up the first line of battle, with the more experienced prinicipes forming up behind them. After Gaius Marius' reforms of 107 BC, the hastati were done away with, and age and wealth requirements were also abolished. Hastati were replaced by professional medium infantry, and soldiers joined the army for a career rather than service to their city.
