05-23-2013, 05:42 PM
Quote: For one maniple of 2 centuries in an open field, fine, although I don't see the value - but not when there are 10 maniples over a legion and 40 over an army - the outer ones are not going to be side-stepping nearly 1,000ft!
The manouvre showed in the video ( less or more the same I tried to display) were performed by each maniple INDIVIDUALLY ! :-) So every men, the outer one and the inner one, had to do just one step to the side.
The utility would be the follow: once closed the file the maniple would cut in half its front, allowing the maniple behind to pass throug the open gap.
If during a battle the maniple, deployed in open order( as depicted in the second picture of your post above) was wavering under enemies pressure, could close the files to allow renforcement to advance throug gap and help them( even if ranks or files too close could be dangerous, as described by Bryan above...). It could be one of the way in wich was effectuated the substitution of hastati by principi.
This doesn't mean that maniples disn't use also a formation as that described by picture 1 and 4
Francesco Guidi
