Use of the century in 2010 displays

[derek forrest]

This year at Kelmarsh and Marles we shall once again be able to form a century of legionnaries.
Previously we have been grateful that we managed to move so many at once and get them on and off and through a basic set of movements. I feel we should aim higher and wonder if readers have views on how this opportunity should be used.

I see in Ross Cowan's Osprey book "Roman Battle Tactics" at page 32 he illustrates a century in close and open order. This involves 8 columns of 10 men in a row including centurion significer and cornicen and with the optio and tesserarius at the back. Reproducing this would present problems as we march in 4s!! let alone changing from close to open order.

We have always split into two parts to do the testudo and cuneus but maybe we should stay as one?

One problem we already have is the different commands and pronunciations of the basic commands.

Thinking of a display by auxilliaries at Namur there is a danger that the legionnary will be supplanted in the publics mind.

[Marcus Mummius]

I think it would be a very good idea to keep the full century as one unit on the field. It would be a new challenge and a more impressive sight for the public and experience for the participants.

And if for some reason it doesn't work out we can always revert to splitting up like before.

I'm looking forward to it!

Vale,

[Robert]

Just a thought on the testudo. This formation was used to approach an enemy firing at the troops. If a large, single century testodu were used, this would mean the enemy could concentrate their firepower at a single moving object, making the chances of slipping an arrow or other projectile through higher. Not being a military commander or even a soldier, I may be very wrong and welcome thoughts of the armed forces men partaking on RAT, but in my view it would be a good thing to divide the enemy firepower over several moving targets. So I could envision a century splitting up into several testudo's for the advance against the enemy.