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Accensi,Leves and Rorarii
#1
I have been playing the Europa Barborum mod for Rome:Total War and I am curious over the Accensi,Leves and Rorarii. I have heard of them before but can't seem to find out much about them. I know that they were lower class then the Hastati, Princeps and Triarii and that the Accensi and Leves were skirmishers. But what of the Rorarii? I read that they were placed behind the Triarii. Were they a last line of defense? I thought that rested with the Triarii. How were these men organized?
Aurelius Falco (Tony Butara)
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#2
As far as i can make out these men were the supernumerary soldiers to the the Triarii, filling in gaps where men fell. From what i can make out Triarii, Rorarii and Accensi were formed into groups of ordi (180 men), i'm not quite sure if these were 60 men of each class or if it would have just been a mishmash of classes to make up the numbers, but i also imagine these men were there to make up the numbers as the triarii classes were made up of the older, experienced soldiers they were likely the smallest group of soldiers (i am making an assumption there!) so the younger, less experience and less well armed rorarii would have bolstered the numbers... as the Rotarii were armed similarly (spears and shields) but probably not nearly as much armour.

But as well know, if it had got to these soldiers... things had gone HORRIBLY wrong... as we know the saying now "it has come to the triarii" meaning that if the younger men of the hastati and men in their prime of the principes hadnt defeated the enemy then it had gotten desperate!

if we look at this diagram from [url:uxiiyrn2]http://www.roman-empire.net/army/army.html[/url] this shows the order of battle line...

Hastati + Leves in front
====================
Principes
====================
Triarii
====================
Rorarii
====================
Accensi

there is also an interesting look at an "alterative view of ancient armies" on [url:uxiiyrn2]http://www.garyb.0catch.com/legion_formations/legion_formations.html[/url]

hope that answers your question!
Lucius Duccius Rufinus Aka Kevin Rhynas.

"Fortes fortuna adiuvat".
[url:10c24pem]http://www.ninthlegion.co.uk[/url]
[size=75:10c24pem](work in progress...)[/size]
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#3
thank you! It does answer it indeed!
Aurelius Falco (Tony Butara)
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