08-10-2012, 03:03 PM
Quote: So maybe, like the Decurion, he commanded a 100 men. A ducentenarius was riginally a racehorse with two hundred victories (Diocles).
My belief/deduction (however, see below) for the military 'Centurion' is more based on a name for the 'one-hundredth' division (cf tribal and land divisions - tribal divisions for political purposes are also 'lead' by 'Centurions') and, like the land divisions, are based upon the idea of a 10x10 grid as their fundamental basis. So indeed is the proto-typical (Polybian) Roman army based upon 2 Roman Legions - divided into 100 century-equivalents - each lead by a 'Centurion', but then modified for tactical necessity.
Quote:I made the following point in another thread but nobody took me up on it. Varro states that the proper number of men in a century is one hundred .......
I'm sorry I missed it and certainly take no credit for original thought; and am quite sure that others have had similar ones. Our interpretation of history is all simply that, looking back at bits and pieces and never actually knowing.
In this case, there is, of course the other sensible likelihood that, whilst 80 men formed the fighting and tactical strength of a century, then by adding the Optio, Signifer and Centurion himself we are already at 83. It has long been postulated that other members of the legion were carried on the Century's 'books' and it is not difficult to add: Clerks; Medical Orderlies; Quartermasters; Fabricators of various items; and perhaps even Artillerymen (older, perhaps less able) and rapidly get to ~100.
The Cavalry is different - for it doesn't group and march together with any of its support. 10 man sections, 30 man 'Troops' have to be together on their horses and there is little room for extraneous bodies - these would have to be entirely separate.
In summary, and I believe in its original usage, then yes, I believe a Decurion of cavalry lead his 10 man section (the senior also responsible for the organisation of his turmae); for the Centurion he commanded his century (both as a centuriae-division of the army and, most conveniently, probably very near to 100 men total).
