09-14-2014, 01:17 AM
I only today became aware of Robin Dunbar's number. You can read an overview in the Businessweek link. According to Dunbar and others, humans tend to cluster into groups of about 150, and no more, This is proposed as the maximum number that the individuals within the group can handle; beyond which they split into more groups. He says the number shows up in military organizations over the milllenia as well.
I was struck by the number 150, which is about that of a maniple. The Romans evolved that from the phalanx, which as I understand is a more amorphous grouping. I seem to remember that although the maniple designation appears to have disappeard in the principate, that the word itself was still in use but the reason unknown.
With the manipular organization Rome went on to conquer. Could it have been that Rome figured out that their soldiers were more effective in that size group since they would all tend to know and respect each other as "neighbors in battle'?
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/201...l-networks
I was struck by the number 150, which is about that of a maniple. The Romans evolved that from the phalanx, which as I understand is a more amorphous grouping. I seem to remember that although the maniple designation appears to have disappeard in the principate, that the word itself was still in use but the reason unknown.
With the manipular organization Rome went on to conquer. Could it have been that Rome figured out that their soldiers were more effective in that size group since they would all tend to know and respect each other as "neighbors in battle'?
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/201...l-networks
Richard Campbell
Legio XX - Alexandria, Virginia
RAT member #6?
Legio XX - Alexandria, Virginia
RAT member #6?
