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[Frank Chadwick]

Various non-Italian allies do not really take over from the Romans and Italian allies until after the 2nd Punic War. During the war, and during the Macedonian wars which immediately followed, the actual "legion" cavalry is still provided by citizens and Italian allies. The typical provision is 300 Roman citizen cavalry and 600-900 Italian allied cavalry per legion. Of the Italian allies, one third were extraordinarii (picked out as the most capable of the allies) and they not only marched at the head of the column but also deployed on the right in battle, along with the Roman citizens. This meant that the typial two-legion army would have about 600 Roman citizen cavalry and 1200-1800 allies, but that the two cavalry wings would be of roughly equal strength, since the Romans and extraordinarii were on the right and the balance of the allies on the left.

Frank Chadwick

I think that we must differentiate between legion and Roman Army. An Italian allied during 2PW couldn't be in a Legion, they formed the alae of the Roman army.

I agree completely, and sorry my post was confusing on that score. The reason I use "legion" (in quotation marks) is to highlight that they were not actually part of the legion, but were part of the quota of troops raised to support the legion. This would be separate from various bodies of foreign allies and mercenaries hired in addition to the normal quota of citizens and allies.

So, for example, during the 2nd Punic War the Numidians bring a large body of cavalry and infantry to Zama, and these are certainly "allies" in every sense of the word. But those troops do not form part of or substitute for the contingent of Italian allies preent which are part of the standard legion "quota."

Most of those Italian allies raises as part of a legion muster or quota would indeed be part of an ala, but the cavalry and the extraordinarii would not, so it gets awkward trying to make sure people know which allies you are talking about without using the word "legion" sooner or later.

Frank Chadwick