08-24-2009, 10:28 AM
Hi all
I know there is a fair body of evidence for the way a Republican army would have fought, but is there any evidence for how an Early Imperial Roman army would deploy a legion - I'm particularly wondering whether a cohort would deploy with centuries in line abreast, or in column, or 2 centuries deep, 3 wide, that sort of thing. And did centuries deploy in any particular formation - eg. 10 men wide, 8 deep? I imagine it would vary from battle to battle, with terrain etc.
But is there any evidence for a 'standard' deployment pattern? or was it simply down to whatever the commander felt like?
Cheers,
Michael Lovejoy
I know there is a fair body of evidence for the way a Republican army would have fought, but is there any evidence for how an Early Imperial Roman army would deploy a legion - I'm particularly wondering whether a cohort would deploy with centuries in line abreast, or in column, or 2 centuries deep, 3 wide, that sort of thing. And did centuries deploy in any particular formation - eg. 10 men wide, 8 deep? I imagine it would vary from battle to battle, with terrain etc.
But is there any evidence for a 'standard' deployment pattern? or was it simply down to whatever the commander felt like?
Cheers,
Michael Lovejoy