thinking about your posts on mercenaries in the free cities, I have a followup. Were the Roman legions a standing army? So why did nations stop using standing armies after Rome? Was Rome just rich enough to keep an army? stevenattewell Uncategorized March 21, 2018 1 Minute 1. Yes. 2. They’re incredibly expensive and difficult to maintain. Share this: Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Like Loading... Related Published by stevenattewell View all posts by stevenattewell Published March 21, 2018