09-02-2008, 05:04 PM
Hi
I just wondered what the differences between trooptypes in the late roman field army might have been like.
We know of legiones palatinae, auxilia palatina, legiones comitatenses and legiones pseudocomitatenses.
I guess that the legiones would have differed only in the quality of their soldiers and equipment, yet fullfilling roughly the same tactical and strategical tasks as a heavy infantry.
What about the Auxilia now? Where they heavier or lighter? Did they use more missile weapons? Where they able to fullfill different tasks on campaign and on battlefield?
They are described to have fewer numbers, the legiones should be at 1000 men and the auxilia at 500. They consisted to a greater part of germanic soldiers then other units.
So I thought that they might be used for skirmishing action, as a light infantry. Yet at Strasbourg, Julian had them at his flanks and they withstood heavy frontal attacks by the Allamans, like a heavy infantry would be able to do.
And if they didn't differ in any way from the legions, why would they be called auxilia and not legion? And why did they rank so high in the late roman military hierarchy?
Information in the books I read was always quite scarce, so I hope someone here knows more
I just wondered what the differences between trooptypes in the late roman field army might have been like.
We know of legiones palatinae, auxilia palatina, legiones comitatenses and legiones pseudocomitatenses.
I guess that the legiones would have differed only in the quality of their soldiers and equipment, yet fullfilling roughly the same tactical and strategical tasks as a heavy infantry.
What about the Auxilia now? Where they heavier or lighter? Did they use more missile weapons? Where they able to fullfill different tasks on campaign and on battlefield?
They are described to have fewer numbers, the legiones should be at 1000 men and the auxilia at 500. They consisted to a greater part of germanic soldiers then other units.
So I thought that they might be used for skirmishing action, as a light infantry. Yet at Strasbourg, Julian had them at his flanks and they withstood heavy frontal attacks by the Allamans, like a heavy infantry would be able to do.
And if they didn't differ in any way from the legions, why would they be called auxilia and not legion? And why did they rank so high in the late roman military hierarchy?
Information in the books I read was always quite scarce, so I hope someone here knows more
Till Lodemann