Zodiac and Late Roman Army Organisation

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Thanks - look forward to it

I got permission: Ok, here's what I can discerned based on the thread I've found:

I give Pompeius Magnus full credit for this information, it is all his work, and he spent countless hours reading and interpreting this information.

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=353621

Now, Pompeius suggests that the Comitatensian Legion, as according to Zozimus, was approximately 1200 strong by AD 400), because the Dalmatian troops were 6000 strong total. But another possiblity, when interpreted, was that it was 5 detatchments of 1200, implying the Legion may have in fact been larger. It seems that the Legions were not reduced in size overall, but simply operated in Vexillations. Therefore we cannot determine a definite size of the Legion, because they were divided up in different ways (Thomas Momnensen and Seeck). Ergo Vegetius' number of 6100 infantry and 726 cavalry could indeed be correct.

Ammianus mentions that Legions also would send out detatchments of 300-500 men.

Concerning the Manipulus and the Numerus;

Vegetius, in his second Epistula, details that the term 'Manipulus' replaced the contubernium, but both still served the same function, being about 8-10 men.

Pompeius has seen that the officer called a Ducenarius, as described by Vegetius, suggests that he commanded 200 men. A Legion could not be divided into cohorts, because it could range between 800 and 1500 men based on the size of the mother unit and the number of Vexillations it was split into. The old "Manipular" system, therefore is entirely possible, but the name of the unit is unkon, (I've interpereted this next part from what he says)-> although it could be called a Numerus because Numerus simply means "Regiment" and could describe any number of men in reality.

More to come, feel free to sift through the thread and some others. I will post some refernces ont he Palantine units later. Remember, none of this is my Work, it is all his.