12-06-2007, 05:09 AM
Quote:which might be as few as 10 men, or as many as 120 ( say). It would thus be a generic word (rather than a particular size); as say, we use the word 'unit' which might be small or large depending on context, or task.(e.g."... a unit of ten men...." or "... a task-force sized composite unit was sent...." Later, as the structure became more fomalised 'maniple' would come to mean a particular size of unit.
I quite agree, but, (there is always a but), even when the word maniple represented a unit of a particular size, is still means a unit formed by groupings of maniples of a fixed numerical value. This little piece of knowledge has had the greatest impact on my research.