+- RomanArmyTalk (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat)
+-- Forum: Research Arena (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/forumdisplay.php?fid=4)
+--- Forum: Roman Military History & Archaeology (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/forumdisplay.php?fid=8)
+--- Thread: EUREKA - Roman army troops (/showthread.php?tid=10155)
EUREKA - Roman army troops - antiochus - 08-11-2007
Hello All,
I've been at this for awhile but I have finally found the mathematical methodology the Romans applied to levying the troops from the tribes. I have covered the period from the Servian reform (around 530 BC) to 177 BC.
Just yesterday I had the work vetted by the classics dept of the Melb. University. Passed with flying colours as no one could debunk it as it follows the same mathematical formula and the answers always align with the size of the army for a given campaign.
This was the last piece in the jigsaw in relation to my research into the organization of the Roman army for the period 500 BC to 200 AD.
Cheers
Steven James
Re: EUREKA - Roman army troops - Magnus - 08-11-2007
Wow, that's pretty cool! The work will be published at some point?
Re: EUREKA - Roman army troops - antiochus - 08-13-2007
It will be published as part of my book “The Anatomy of the Roman Legion, 500 BC to 200 AD. This is not an advertisement for the book. I just wanted to have an Archimedes’s moment, and instead of running into the street I decided to use the modern equivalent, the Internet to celebrate the moment. I’ve had so many research breakthroughs concerning the Roman legion over the last fifteen months I allowed myself to lose discipline and publicly blow my own trumpet. The book should, hopefully be made available in twelve months. I haven’t sorted out a publisher as yet; I’m more focused on finishing it. This premise of the book shows the organization of the Roman legion based on all the numerical values cited by all ancient writers covering the period 500 BC to 200 AD.
Steven James
Eureka - Paullus Scipio - 08-13-2007
Congratulations, Steven !
Having a long standing interest in the Roman military, I look forward to seeing your book !!
Re: EUREKA - Roman army troops - antiochus - 08-15-2007
Paul Mc Donnell wrote: Having a long standing interest in the Roman military, I look forward to seeing your book
Dear Paul,
I promise you will not be disappointed. All legion sizes mentioned in the primary sources have their upper and lower echelon command organisations diagrammed and discussed in relation to the textual evidence, and then the organisation and the size of each legion is married with the tribes and the levy system, as is the army numbers for a given campaign. The mathematics interlock every inch of the way and each stage confirms the other, and this coherency holds up for the 700 years of the legion history the book covers (500 BC to 200 AD). Therefore with these methods, the introduction of the maniple legion has been pinpointed, plus other legion reforms unbeknown to historians. The cavalry for all periods is also included, plus detailed studies of many of the battles and how the legion functioned on the battlefield for the various periods.
Re: EUREKA - Roman army troops - Praefectusclassis - 08-15-2007
Hi Steven,
To be honest, it almost sounds too good to be true. But since I'd like to make up my mind about that myself, I'd be really interested in reading your book. Hope you find a publisher soon. Maybe Pen & Sword is interested? Phil Sidnell, their ancients editor, is here on the forum.
Re: EUREKA - Roman army troops - Gaius Julius Caesar - 08-15-2007
Looking forward to your book mate!
Does it have pictures for those of us less academically talented?
Still, it sounds like an interesting book, and a good research tool for those who want to writte historically accurate novels too!. In fact, this whole forum would be an excellent esearch tool for a novelist......
Re: EUREKA - Roman army troops - maius - 08-15-2007
Hi Steven, congratulations!
I'm really looking forward to reading your book when you get it published.
Maius/Bill
Re: EUREKA - Roman army troops - antiochus - 08-17-2007
Jasper wrote: To be honest, it almost sounds too good to be true.
Jasper, yes, I am the first to agree, it does sound too good to be true, but it is all true, and has been validated. But it is good you remain sceptical, as there are too many DeVinci code sensationalists out there. To my credit, if I was a fraud, I would be pretty stupid to use my real name and attract future embarrassment or humiliation to myself. Come to think of it, I am a blonde. Hmm, maybe I haven’t thought this out.
Steven James
Re: EUREKA - Roman army troops - Tarbicus - 08-17-2007
I'm looking forward to this book, especially one that seems to be able to demonstrate the ancient sources might have actually known what they were talking about.
How unusual
Re: EUREKA - Roman army troops - antiochus - 08-18-2007
Jim Bowers wrote: I'm looking forward to this book, especially one that seems to be able to demonstrate the ancient sources might have actually known what they were talking about. How unusual.
Your comment has been made by others. One person jokingly wrote “The fact your research shows the ancient writers were not liars cannot be tolerated. Please revise your work and conform to tradition.â€
Eureka - Paullus Scipio - 08-18-2007
Amen, Frater !!!
Re: EUREKA - Roman army troops - Gaius Julius Caesar - 08-18-2007
Well, if this is anything to go by, this is going to be a 'must have book'!!!
D D Antiochus, you are a man after my own heart(but with a working brain, obviously) and I look forward to seeing this published!
As for my neighbour, the lovely TV presenter/historian, well, scotland is a bigger place than it appears on the map, but I am learning that there is more than one person up here who does realise the Romans actually came past Hadrians wall!! :roll: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Re: EUREKA - Roman army troops - D B Campbell - 08-18-2007
Quote:My faith is in the 14 references of the ancient writers concerning State issued armaments than in any modern historian.You're quite right to go back to the original sources, Steven. Every good historian checks his/her sources ... usually.
But there's a limit to how many sources each of us can study, and we all exercise a certain amount of trust that giant intellects like Mommsen and Syme did not maliciously fabricate evidence. However, "even Homer nods", and that is why we periodically question authorities: I'm glad to see that you are doing your bit for the Republican army.
Of course, there's more to Quellenkritik than sheer weight of numbers. I'm sure you've checked the relative veracity of your 14 citations from 4 authorities -- in particular, I'd be wary that three of them aren't just copying the fourth!
Roman math - richsc - 08-18-2007
You might find it an interesting to read "Numbering and Measuring in the Classical World" by W F Richardson, which is a short book on how the Romans saw mathematics, including uncia (duodecimal) fractions and manipulations, inclusive reckoning, and other thoughts.