Rank Structure of the Late Roman Legions

[A. Flavius]

Hello all,

I think I have it. I've gone through the links you gave me Vortigern, and I've also managed to get my hands on a copy of Hugh Elton's Warfare in Roman Europe AD 350-425. They've both been rather illuminating, especially Elton's chapters on recruitment and training.

So, provided I've read these properly, this should be the rank structure of the various Roman armies within the specified time frame. Tell me if I'm off.

The Comitatensis were orgainsed around the concept of a legion or auxilia for infantry regiments, and vexillationes for cavalry regiments. Numerii seems to something of a catch-all phrase to describe any body of soldiers, at least from what I can tell.

The size of the infantry regiments (legiones or auxilia) appears to top at roughly 1200, with 600 for cavalry vexillationes. Although Elton think it could have been even less.

THe evidence for the size of these units is limited. What there is suggests tat establishments for vexillationes were c.600 strong, and establishments for auxilia and legiones c.1200. On the other hand, many recorded strengths were somewhat lower: c.400 for cavalry and c.800 for infantry regiments might have been normal. There appear to have been no major changes in unit sizes between 350 and 425.

So it would appear that the ratio of cavalry to infantry seems to have been 1:2.

These regiments appear to have been commanded by a tribune, regardless of whether they were infantry or cavalry. Elton states they were also at times referred to as praepositus, a term I haven't been able to translate or anglisise let.

Elton goes on to claim that these regiments would often operate in pairs, forming a battalion under the command of a Comes. What he doesn't say is if it were possible for a Count to command a larger force, as in the case of the Count of the Saxon Shore.

Barbarian foederati are mentioned, but Elton doesn't seem to know just how large foederati attachments to Roman brigades would have been.

The Limitanei appear to have possessed a wider array of troops due to their static nature. Infantry regiments are broken up into legiones and cohortes, whilst alae and equites formed the norm for cavalry.

Considering that Limitanei were spread over a certain area, it seems to be hard to pin down their exact numbers. Elton claims that their numbers averaged around c.480-c.750.

As with the comitatenses it is difficult to estimate unit sizes. in the third century cohortes and alae had a nominal establishment of 480, though John Lydus in the sixth century records alae as 600. The few military units recorded in the Notitia may have been around 750 strong, as in the third century. Border equites and auxilia were probably the some size as cohortes and alae. Legiones were often broken up into detachments for garrisoning a province, in some cases as many as six from the same legion. These varied in size and had up to five cohorts. Full-strength legions may have had the same strength as field army legions. If they were this small, some of these detachments would have been very small indeed. These guesses are established strength and the real strengths would have been somewhat lower.

Now I assume the same rank structure of Tribunes and Counts applies here as well.

As I understand it, the upper echelons of the Roman military worked as thus;

Migister militum commanded Duces within his diocese. The Duces in turn commanded Comes in their individual provinces.

Now it's the lower ranks that get me. Military Tribunes (apparently vastly different from the Tribunes of the Early Empire) were under the command of Comes. There would apparently be one tribune per regiments, or two per brigade with one obviously being senior. But what comes under Tribunes? I should have amended my question earlier to ask what were the enlisted ranks of the Roman legions. This is what I'm interested in but can't seem to find.

Any help would be my appreciated.

Cheers,

Scott.