The Augustan Army ; the continuation of the manipel organization

[Nathan Ross]

What time frame do you believe the maniple ceased to be an integral part of the legion’s military organisation?

We've discussed this before, principally in this thread.

In brief, I believe that some sort of 'vestigal' manipular structure endured throughout the 1st-3rd centuries AD, in terms of the internal organisation of the cohort. 'Manipular' titles are still used, particularly in the Severan era it seems, and perhaps as late as the 290s going by the Aurelius Gaius inscription. At a guess, I'd say the last traces of this structure might have died out around the era of Diocletian, although the word endured for some time after that as an approximate synonym for legion or army units generally.

But the maniple probably ceased to be an important tactical unit at some point in the 1st century BC. When regular auxiliary units first appear under Augustus, they are organised in centuries and cohorts, not maniples.

Cohorts and maniples again.

Poetry again!

'Cohorts, maniples and centuries' (or some combination of these terms) is used often in Roman literature to mean 'the army' generally. This does not mean, I think, that it necessarily reflects the contemporary military structure of the day.

Poetry in particular is difficult, as the verses are written in meter - manipli might scan in a way that centuriae (or whatever) does not. Poets are not obliged to use proper terminology.