12-05-2003, 03:33 PM
I just received Roman Military Clothing 1 and 2 and I just had the time to browse through the paintings. Naturally I was interested in the "macedonian" phalangite of Caracalla.<br>
I can' help to notice that not very long after the creation of that "phalanx" --one of Caracalla's whims according to the standard interpretation-- roman heavy infantry was issued knee lenght armour, longer spears and round shields, which implies a close order/phalanx type of fighting.<br>
The only thing that does not fit is the rawhide helmet mentioned by Dio Cassius. The IIIrd century heavy helmets don't really fit the description..<br>
But I've always wondered if those "macedonians" were not simply the "new model" soldiers that replaced the classical pilum/gladius legionary around the time Caracalla extended citizenship to the whole Empire.<br>
I am more and more convinced that, as happened in later times, Rome developed a "new model army" at the begining of the IIIrd century AD.<br>
The switch from the combination pilum/gladius to pike/spatha is not a simple evolution, it's a radical change in tactics and equipment.<br>
It's about that time too that the segmentata disappeared, BTW..<br>
I've read a lot of explanations for that disappearance except the simplest one: It was phased out by the roman authorities. That would explain the brutal disappearance of that type. Had it been an evolution the segmentatas would have gone more gradually, I think. <p></p><i></i>
I can' help to notice that not very long after the creation of that "phalanx" --one of Caracalla's whims according to the standard interpretation-- roman heavy infantry was issued knee lenght armour, longer spears and round shields, which implies a close order/phalanx type of fighting.<br>
The only thing that does not fit is the rawhide helmet mentioned by Dio Cassius. The IIIrd century heavy helmets don't really fit the description..<br>
But I've always wondered if those "macedonians" were not simply the "new model" soldiers that replaced the classical pilum/gladius legionary around the time Caracalla extended citizenship to the whole Empire.<br>
I am more and more convinced that, as happened in later times, Rome developed a "new model army" at the begining of the IIIrd century AD.<br>
The switch from the combination pilum/gladius to pike/spatha is not a simple evolution, it's a radical change in tactics and equipment.<br>
It's about that time too that the segmentata disappeared, BTW..<br>
I've read a lot of explanations for that disappearance except the simplest one: It was phased out by the roman authorities. That would explain the brutal disappearance of that type. Had it been an evolution the segmentatas would have gone more gradually, I think. <p></p><i></i>
