11-08-2006, 08:26 PM
Auxiliary cohorts, like legionary cohorts, were organised into centuries. The assumption is that the standard quingenary cohort has six centuries of eighty men, giving it a paper strength of 480 men. A stronger milliary cohort had ten centuries, giving it a paper strength of 800 (unless it had one or more 'double centuries' like the legion's first cohort may have had).
Auxiliary cavalry quingenary alae had 16 turmae of 32 horsemen each, giving them a papers strength of 512 men. A milliary ala had 24 turmae, making 768 troopers.
Then there were the mixed cohortes equitatate, combining horse and foot. A quingenary cohors equitata had 6 centuries and 4 turmae, making 608 men, while a milliary one had ten centuries and eight alae, making 1056 men.
None of these figures are unconmtroversial, but unless you want to sare the sobering realisation how little we actually know about the Roman Army (it's like going out to ice-fish and finding the ice is two inches thick...), I would suggest taking them and running with them. They're likely to be at least broadly right, and paper strength doesn't mean much anyway.
Auxiliary cavalry quingenary alae had 16 turmae of 32 horsemen each, giving them a papers strength of 512 men. A milliary ala had 24 turmae, making 768 troopers.
Then there were the mixed cohortes equitatate, combining horse and foot. A quingenary cohors equitata had 6 centuries and 4 turmae, making 608 men, while a milliary one had ten centuries and eight alae, making 1056 men.
None of these figures are unconmtroversial, but unless you want to sare the sobering realisation how little we actually know about the Roman Army (it's like going out to ice-fish and finding the ice is two inches thick...), I would suggest taking them and running with them. They're likely to be at least broadly right, and paper strength doesn't mean much anyway.
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