03-06-2014, 04:19 PM
This is turning into quite a stimulating debate.
Some points raised I would like to look at and I take them in no particular order.
The 6000 man legions that Vegetius speaks of appears to be 6000 men per legion, at least thats my reading of the latin anyway. Now, of course one has to take into account that this 6000 number includes not only the heavy infantry, but also the light infantry attached to the legion, the men attached to the various artillery pieces and the legionary cavalry. Your probably looking at nearer 4800 if you take just the legionary infantry and their officers into account (a nice, neat number that divides into the magic 2400 figure for Seniores and Iuniores!).
'Stilicho made ready for war the most famous strengths in Mars (in the army), selecting there from special maniples from selected youth: he further prepared the fleet in the harbours of Etruria. Alcides himself commands the Herculean cohort; the king of the gods leads the Jovian. The Nervian cohort follows and the Felix, well deserving its name, the legion, too, named after Augustus, called the Unconquered, and the brave Leones (Lions) with the witness shield.”
I am sure Stephen noted that apart from the Augustian legion, all the rest of the units are Cohorts, so the legion could well have been over 2000 men strong.
If you look at Ammianus' account of the Battle of Argentoratum in AD357 then a strict interpretation of the numbers of men present could be, based on Vegetius's unit numbers and Ammianus' figures plus that found in Zosimus-
Legio Palatina Primani- 6000 men
Auxilia Palatina Cornuti-1000 men
Auxilia Palatina Bracchiati- 1000 men
Auxilia Palatina Batavi- 1000 men
Auxilia Palatina Regii- 1000 men
Julian's cavalry bodyguard- 200
Catafractarii- 600 men
Total infantry= 10,000
Total cavalry= 800
Overall total at this point ,10,800
If we allow another 800 cavalry who represent the cavalry of all other types that are hinted at being at the battle then that brings the total to- 11,600, which is only 400 short of the claim by Ammianus that Julian's army only numbered 12,000 men in total.
My research would appear to indicate that the typical field army size during the 4th century was 25,000 men strong. Cavalry made up a smaller percentage of the army total, typically only between 4%-12% of the army total were cavalry of all types.
Some points raised I would like to look at and I take them in no particular order.
The 6000 man legions that Vegetius speaks of appears to be 6000 men per legion, at least thats my reading of the latin anyway. Now, of course one has to take into account that this 6000 number includes not only the heavy infantry, but also the light infantry attached to the legion, the men attached to the various artillery pieces and the legionary cavalry. Your probably looking at nearer 4800 if you take just the legionary infantry and their officers into account (a nice, neat number that divides into the magic 2400 figure for Seniores and Iuniores!).
'Stilicho made ready for war the most famous strengths in Mars (in the army), selecting there from special maniples from selected youth: he further prepared the fleet in the harbours of Etruria. Alcides himself commands the Herculean cohort; the king of the gods leads the Jovian. The Nervian cohort follows and the Felix, well deserving its name, the legion, too, named after Augustus, called the Unconquered, and the brave Leones (Lions) with the witness shield.”
I am sure Stephen noted that apart from the Augustian legion, all the rest of the units are Cohorts, so the legion could well have been over 2000 men strong.
If you look at Ammianus' account of the Battle of Argentoratum in AD357 then a strict interpretation of the numbers of men present could be, based on Vegetius's unit numbers and Ammianus' figures plus that found in Zosimus-
Legio Palatina Primani- 6000 men
Auxilia Palatina Cornuti-1000 men
Auxilia Palatina Bracchiati- 1000 men
Auxilia Palatina Batavi- 1000 men
Auxilia Palatina Regii- 1000 men
Julian's cavalry bodyguard- 200
Catafractarii- 600 men
Total infantry= 10,000
Total cavalry= 800
Overall total at this point ,10,800
If we allow another 800 cavalry who represent the cavalry of all other types that are hinted at being at the battle then that brings the total to- 11,600, which is only 400 short of the claim by Ammianus that Julian's army only numbered 12,000 men in total.
My research would appear to indicate that the typical field army size during the 4th century was 25,000 men strong. Cavalry made up a smaller percentage of the army total, typically only between 4%-12% of the army total were cavalry of all types.
Adrian Coombs-Hoar
