Numerus- who was counted?

[Sean Manning]

See Polybius 6 (where Polybius ignores servants and civilians but assumes they will be present)

I looked through book 6 (assuming that's what you meant) using the Penelope translation, and couldn't find any reference.

Polybius says that a new legion consists of at least 4200 pezoi “foot soldiers” and exactly 300 hippeis “horse soldiers” enrolled in specific types of fighting unit. He ignores noncombatants but implies that they exist by mentioning a market, by mentioning slaves in the camp who have to take an oath, and by not remarking “unlike our own, Roman armies are not accompanied by servants and merchants.” So these would be additional to the given figure.

the Strategikon attributed to Maurice

Couldn't find a copy on the internet.

Not everything is Maurice also divides his army into infantry and cavalry soldiers, to which are attached a certain ratio of grooms and servants (I think there is an exception in his description of the infantry file, but I am away from my books). To these would be added merchants, engineers, and the retinues of senior officers.

and Tabulae Vindolandenses 154 (available online)

It appears that the strength reported represents ualentes, which would be the total strength without absences (absentes) and those unfit for service (eorum). I can't find the term ualentes used by any classical author, and a net search only comes up with King Alfred the Great fragments and Crusader books.

That document shows that this particular unit produced counts of the number of milites and centuriones enrolled in a cohort and available for duty which did not also track servants, slaves, merchants, hangers-on, etc. in its camp. You can search the documents cited in the commentary for any reference to a count of noncombatants, but I have not heard of one.

If the numerus is given in terms of homines, then it would clearly consist of slaves and camp-followers since they were "men". A good example would be Livy 21.8.3 where the strength (numerus) of Hannibal's army is given:

"abundabat multitudine hominum Poenus"

Which would be 150,000 men, not 150,000 soldiers.

It could mean that, or it could mean that he included infantry and cavalry together, or it could mean that Livy wanted to be vague because his number would not resist scrutiny. As usual, wording and context and other sources are key.