Late Roman Unit Sizes

[Mark Hygate]

Very curious......we don't agree on methodology, but are the latter two really correct?

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- It’s also relates to the men under the command of a military tribune....... In Romulus day a military tribune commanded 1000 men (10 centuries).

Yes - quite agree

.- With the 4800 men legion each of the six military tribunes command 800 men organised into 10 centuries each of 80 men.

I didn't think there was much disagreement on the Later Republic legion consisting of 10 cohorts each of 480 (500 incl 'officers')? :errr:

. In the Vegetius legion, each of the six military tribunes commands 1000 men (10 centuries each of 100 men). So the Vegetius legion has six tribune cohorts each of 1000 men, and 10 standard cohorts each of 600 men. Both these cohort organisations overlap.
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I was fairly sure we all were on the same page in an earlier thread that the Vegetian legion (whether it actually existed or not) consisted of 10 cohorts each of 555 men + 66 cavalry; with the first cohort being of double size and the possibility of further double strength cohorts

In cases of legion organisations post-Augustus I also believed it was also generally accepted that there were not 6 'military tribunes', but a 'senior' Tribunus Laticlavius Patrician-rank on his first posting to military life effectively as 'second-in-command' to the Legatus; plus 5 Tribuni Angusticlavii Equestrians on their second tours having commanded small auxiliary cohorts.

If anything there is far stronger evidence that, whilst the senior centurion commanded the cohort, one of the 5 junior Tribunes was placed in charge of a pair of cohorts when on detachment.

A query for all - having followed the thread with interest.....

Are you all really happy with the idea that the 'full strength organisation' of all these units is as flexible/changeable as many comments here posted would suggest? It doesn't seem much of a way to run an army, I must say - and the Romans were rather good at that.