07-23-2009, 06:05 PM
If I recall correctly, the Cohortes cR were recruited immediately after the battle in the Teutoburg Forest, there were 17 of them, which were used for the first time in the spring of 10. I am not sure whether this is correct; it's merely how I've always understood things.
Now the battle in the Teutoburg Forest took place in September 9. Recruitment may have started in October. If training started in November, how can they have been battle-ready in, say, March? Maybe it is possible, but it strikes me as rather quick.
I am wondering: is it possible that these units, those odd auxilia manned by Roman citizens, were not completely new, but were in fact manned by survivors from the lost legions?
I mean, it has always appeared to me a bit strange that three legions could be completely destroyed; we know that there were survivors and I would not be surprised if there were thousands of them. Men who had lost their eagles and who had been defeated, true, but also valuable, well-trained, experienced soldiers. It would be foolish to ignore them; yet, reconstituting their units was impossible. Demoting them to the auxilia was sufficient punishment; but they were Romans, no one could deny that, so Tiberius/Augustus created auxilia of Roman citizens.
Does this sound possible?
Now the battle in the Teutoburg Forest took place in September 9. Recruitment may have started in October. If training started in November, how can they have been battle-ready in, say, March? Maybe it is possible, but it strikes me as rather quick.
I am wondering: is it possible that these units, those odd auxilia manned by Roman citizens, were not completely new, but were in fact manned by survivors from the lost legions?
I mean, it has always appeared to me a bit strange that three legions could be completely destroyed; we know that there were survivors and I would not be surprised if there were thousands of them. Men who had lost their eagles and who had been defeated, true, but also valuable, well-trained, experienced soldiers. It would be foolish to ignore them; yet, reconstituting their units was impossible. Demoting them to the auxilia was sufficient punishment; but they were Romans, no one could deny that, so Tiberius/Augustus created auxilia of Roman citizens.
Does this sound possible?
