03-10-2014, 01:23 PM
Quote:Whilst most people agree that the 'Ancient Legion' as discussed is a fantasy on Vegetius's behalf, I would caution against that being totally the case. Vegetius told his reader that he was using other authors works as part of his Epitome, most of those works are now sadly lost to us. So in effect Vegetius' work contains the shadow of these other works. ..............
So in efffect when Vegetius wrote that a legion was 6000 men strong, and showed its make up, it was correct as far as he was concerned because thats how he read it's composition was made up in his books.
Actually, given that I/we only have access to the ancient works that remain, would (indeed will) actually suggest that Vegetius only needs one work to hand and one additional piece of information (I am not disagreeing with arms and armour (apart from as above))...
And that is: Polybius (mainly indeed just Book VI); and the generally accepted knowledge that the First Cohort was 'doubled' in size when 'full' legions still existed.
Nothing else is needed to suggest why his legion ends up as it is - although he does use some updated terms and terminology.
