07-20-2013, 12:31 PM
Quote:Wait I thought it was Vegetius who dictated the Three feet of frontage to each soldier anyways?
Vegetius has a 3ft per man frontage and a 6ft separation between ranks (so almost 9ft per man) and 6 ranks.
Polybius has 3ft between each man both in ranks and files (so ~6ft per man).
I am minded to believe both are accurate, but at different points in the same set of formation changes. It's why I do not accept that pike phalanxes are so unstable and uncoordinated on moderately difficult ground that they can be 'held' by unsupported Romans - I think there's more to it than that. But a drill manual hasn't survived, just the long range single observations we have as above.