08-23-2019, 10:33 AM
Michael Collins Wrote:This is fascinating Julian and Steven.
Julian, I wonder if you could explain what the twelve units constisted of ?
And if you forgive my ignorance on the matter, the difference bewteen a hollow and solid square.
For that Livy example also, a diagram might be worth a thousand words.
Polybius has the Roman army being able to go from march formation and able to deploy facing wherever the threat was coming from. All modern historians can only give examples of one direction of attack (the easy one) from four directions of attack. The criteria is from all directions, and it should be mandatory for all modern historians describing this event to show all four. You're right Michael, a picture is worth a thousand words, but I have no intention of freely showing my extensive research for the convenience of some lazy historians to run with.
At Ruspina, Caesar states 30 cohorts, and yes that is the number of cohorts that were present. However, Caesar is not describing the Roman march organisation...that is a different kettle of fish. The 30 cohorts do not play a role in the march organisation, but Caesar's force does have 30 cohorts if you wanted to count the cohort organisation. Just as they six centuries to a cohort. So Caesar could just have said his force consisted of 180 centuries. Caesar also could have given the number of primi ordines, superiores ordines, inferior ordines, and infimi ordines, but it still would not relate to the march organisation. Caesar is just giving the number of legionaries at Ruspina.
I read the paper on the square fighting march of the crusaders. He mentions something that isn't on many people's radar, and that is the ratio of infantry to cavalry. The Romans work this way intently. It is all about ratios with the Roman army...but thankfully not too many. The difference between the crusader square and the Roman square formation is the Romans have 16 intervals, four per side. If the crusaders have three, then it has to do with the frontage of the cavalry units. Get the size of a cavalry unit, from this the cavalry frontage will give the answer to the frontage of the square as it will be based on the ratio of infantry to cavalry.
