08-14-2007, 05:49 AM
Quote:It's generally assumed that the animal skin is meant for the centurions to judge the performance of individual velites. On reflection that interpretation seams extremely unlikely to me. Each centurion would have to judge 20 to 40 velites and distinguish them from about 80 other velites on the same frontage. In addition the centurions of the principes and triarii would not be able to see their velites at all.Polybius might only mention the officers, but there were many other eyes watching the velites and there's no reason to believe that they wouldn't have something to say, especially in instances were there was not much else to do but wait and watch, and no doubt cheer and encourage them on (IIRC there are primary references to units cheering on others engaged in battle or about to be). If the century was also made up of many kinsmen and neighbours, and this includes the elected centurions, identification of those youngsters might also be far easier if the velites were also similarly familiar; the animal skins making tracking of individuals a simpler affair?
We know from Livy (AUC 31.35 & 38.21) that the velites were atypical light infantry in that they were equipped and prepared to engage in close order combat. If battlelines intermingled it would be difficult to asses who was winning. If the Roman soldiers all wore some kind of animal skin on their helmet that would largely resolve the problem.
But it's an interesting notion that the velites would intermingle with the main battle line, given some recent depictions of the princeps and hastati being more of a "mob" formation rather than ordered rank and file. But that might just make the velites merging back into the main group easier, once the main heavier infantry were fully deployed and ready for action.
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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