08-03-2013, 05:48 PM
I wish I'd had the time to finish that 'little thesis' of mine (soon!) as defending it would have covered all of this, but I am minded to suggest the following:
The 4th/5thC legions were of two types:
- the 'old' legions of the principate, still serving on the borders as limitanei, many in the locations they had held for years, still had the theoretical structure of the 10 cohorts (the first being 5 double centuries, but with the legionary cavalry withdrawn); however they were more immobile, were effectively static garrison troops and, most likely, not kept up to strength (like the matching old auxiliary units too). Some units still garrisoned several locations, however, so must still have been fairly significant.
- the 'new' field army legio's of the Palatina, Comitatenses and Pseudo-Comitatenses, however are, in the main, the new name for the standard legion detachment/vexilatio of earlier times each the size, and probably the same organisation, or 2 cohorts (still 480+ men each). The limitanei legions were still certainly of decent quality and still supplied Pseudo-Comitatenses new legio's as necessary; some of which still never rejoined and became permanently detached.
In short I am theorizing that the Roman Army Organisation, certainly in respect of the legions, evolved very slowly over 800 or so years, and didn't really change that much, with a very consistent and conservative approach - more to follow when I've finished.
With - a century being a standard 80+3 throughout (at full strength); a cohort being of 6 centuries (the smaller version) and a vexilation/detachment and eventually field army legio being of 2 cohorts. I am hoping that in trying to defend that theory against all comers will help us get closer to the truth and see if there's real evidence that the theory doesn't hold up. Inherent in that defence is that century, guingenaria and milliaria do not mean 100, 500 and 1,000 respectively, but ancient authors may also have not unreasonably thought it.
The 4th/5thC legions were of two types:
- the 'old' legions of the principate, still serving on the borders as limitanei, many in the locations they had held for years, still had the theoretical structure of the 10 cohorts (the first being 5 double centuries, but with the legionary cavalry withdrawn); however they were more immobile, were effectively static garrison troops and, most likely, not kept up to strength (like the matching old auxiliary units too). Some units still garrisoned several locations, however, so must still have been fairly significant.
- the 'new' field army legio's of the Palatina, Comitatenses and Pseudo-Comitatenses, however are, in the main, the new name for the standard legion detachment/vexilatio of earlier times each the size, and probably the same organisation, or 2 cohorts (still 480+ men each). The limitanei legions were still certainly of decent quality and still supplied Pseudo-Comitatenses new legio's as necessary; some of which still never rejoined and became permanently detached.
In short I am theorizing that the Roman Army Organisation, certainly in respect of the legions, evolved very slowly over 800 or so years, and didn't really change that much, with a very consistent and conservative approach - more to follow when I've finished.
With - a century being a standard 80+3 throughout (at full strength); a cohort being of 6 centuries (the smaller version) and a vexilation/detachment and eventually field army legio being of 2 cohorts. I am hoping that in trying to defend that theory against all comers will help us get closer to the truth and see if there's real evidence that the theory doesn't hold up. Inherent in that defence is that century, guingenaria and milliaria do not mean 100, 500 and 1,000 respectively, but ancient authors may also have not unreasonably thought it.
