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legion marching formations
#1
I'm sure this is very old hat for many of you, and perhaps there is an old thread someone could direct me to, but I am very curious about Roman legion marching formations. Did they have different ways of doing this? I am now reading Caesar de Bello Gallico, 1.49 and he says that he led his troops "acieque triplici instructa" which means something like laid out in a triple line. Could someone please tell me what would that have looked like? Thanks. Tony
Tony Whalen (aka tonyodysseus)
nihil simul inventum et perfectum est. Cicero
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#2
There's a great Osprey/Warrior book that details some of what you're asking. Roman Battle Tactics 109BC-AD313.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5 ... SS500_.jpg
Remember, a triple line wasn't just three lines of men, it was three lines of groups of men. Each group could be 8 or 10 men deep, with a space between the lines, etc.
Sometimes the general would change that setup, and use the new arrangement to his advantage. But that seems to be one basic formation, with cavalry on one or both flanks.
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)

Saepe veritas est dura.
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#3
One possibility is having the ranks 'staggered', somewhat like a checkerboard, being that the 2nd row of troops are 'offset' to the side behind the first row of troops. It likely was based off of, or influenced, or, evolved? from the "Quincunx" formation seen during the Republic, say during the 2nd Punic Wars.

Sort of like this:

^ front line ^

0-0-0-0-0-0-
-0-0-0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0-0-0-

( 0 = Legionary; - = space between, as I can't get it to look the way I want)

The idea likely being 3-fold: 1. it maximized your "volume" or spread of Pila when thrown 2. it maximizes the amount of 'fighting space' per legionary 3. It allows easier maneuvering in the 'countermarch', where the rear-ranks move forward and refresh/relieve the front rank who had been fighting. (It has been estimated at about 5 minutes worth of fighting per 'change') - but for a countermarch also allows a 'continuous fire' if you will, for the Pila as well.

Certainly the Romans employed several tactics and maneuvers, and they certainly can branch off from this one.

To 'deploy' in something like this, would probably been very simple, being that when marching perfectly aligned:

0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0

When the order is given, the 2nd rank steps to the left or right to align with the 'space' between each Legionary in their row, that can be done standing or marching, and probably was done both by the Romans.

That spacing, or interval, by the way, has also been suggested to be 3 feet between each Legionary. (I think the spacing is noted by Polybius or Vegetius?)
A number of reenacting units use a pretty simple 'dressing' technique, extending the right arm to it's full length, with knuckles just barely touching the scutum of the fellow Legionary to your right, dressing or pushing down the left side. - This being taken partly from "Pike and Shot" techniques in the 17th century in Arms/Drill manuals, such as Hexom (1637) and DeGheyn (1620's)....Which are in turn, influenced from Classical sources such as Caesar and Alexander the Great, and 'manuals' like Aelian's Tactics, Tactitus, Polybius, and Vegetius.

It's mentioned (although I forget which manual/author at the moment, I want to say Hexom), that the [pikemen] are to space themselves "akinbow" ("a keen (el)bow"), being elbow-to-elbow with hands on hips. That is for "Order" spacing ("Open Order" for marching not under threat, fingertip-to-fingertip; when packing in tightly to 'receive a charge of horse' (cavalry charge), the Pikemen move in and close shoulder-to-shoulder, at the "Close Order".)
Andy Volpe
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#4
Quote:I am very curious about Roman legion marching formations. Did they have different ways of doing this? I am now reading Caesar de Bello Gallico, 1.49 and he says that he led his troops "acieque triplici instructa" which means something like laid out in a triple line. Could someone please tell me what would that have looked like?
I think two things are involved: fighting formations like the triple acies, and marching formations. We know a lot about the fighting formations, as you can read above, but to the best of my knowledge, there were no formations when people were on the march. I think that is something that was invented in the eighteenth century, when drilling made sense.
Jona Lendering
Relevance is the enemy of history
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#5
Hello,

Actually we have quite some information (although not very detailed) about marching formations in our sources (Polybius VI. 40-41; Josephus B.J. III. 115-126, V. 39-50; Arrian Ektaxis 1-11; Vegetius III. 6). The marching columns of course varied according to circumstances, nevertheless the basic formation remained more or less the same through times. First were always the scouts who rode in front of the column and searched for good routes, possible ambushes, kept track of the enemy. Next came the technicians and land surveyors, who worked on making the path easier for the soldiers (destroying obstacles, strengthening the ways, etc.) and of course surveyed the camp at the end of day. On top of the column was cavalry, then light armed soldiers or other auxilia. The core was made up by legions. Somewhere in the middle of the formation, under the protection of heavy infantry was the baggage and also the general with his staff. Auxiliary infantry followed and then again the cavalry. Sometimes some cavalry could have been on the sides of the marching formation to protect them.

According to the ancient authors the formation should be compact and not very long. It is possible that the soldiers marched 3 or four abreast (these numbers by Josephus B.J. III. 124 and Arrian Ektaxis 5, 6), but it is certainly also possible that this may have differed according to the situations.

The above applies for conditions, when there is no immediate danger to the army. When the enemy was near and could endanger the marching army a formation called agmen quadratum was used. Although the term is not very clear it seems quite probable that this was in fact a formation of three parallel columns marching side by side, from which the army could very quickly form the acies triplex.

You can find more information in:

Gilliver, C.M., 1993. The Roman Art of War: Theory and Practice. (PhD thesis). University of London. (which you can - after registration - download for free here).

PĂ©rez Castro, L.C., 2006. Los Agmina romanos y los significados de Pilatvm Agmen y Qvadrato Agmine. Emerita, 74(1), 1-16.

Greetings
Alexandr
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#6
Quote:Actually we have quite some information (although not very detailed) about marching formations in our sources
Of course you are right; what I was, somewhat clumsily, referring to, was things like synchronous marching. Of course this may have took place during the battle (although I do not trust Vegetius' words - they may be wishful thinking, not a description of what actually happened), but I know no sources about the way soldiers marched when they were moving to their next camp.
Jona Lendering
Relevance is the enemy of history
My website
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#7
Some times they would be marching in a formation that allowed them to rapidly manouver into battle lines, and in other less hazardous areas, they marched
with the baggage train interspersed between legions etc.
Varus was shafted for being in a shambolic confusion of baggage train camp followers an troop interspersed......

Caesar was pretty sharp on his marching dispositions, usually leaving the most inexperienced legions to take up the rear(and protection position for the baggage train....
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
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#8
Quote:There's a great Osprey/Warrior book that details some of what you're asking. Roman Battle Tactics 109BC-AD313.

Or even a great Ross Cowan book. ;-) )
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#9
If I recall right, some Roman commanders did march in 3 parallel columns if they expected contact with enemy and terrain allowed it. This was to make it lot easier to move to customary triplex acies formation.
(Mika S.)

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#10
Quote:agmen quadratum was used. Although the term is not very clear it seems quite probable that this was in fact a formation of three parallel columns
Hmm. Wouldn't that be four columns?
Quote:a great Ross Cowan book
Hey, no doubt about it. But you hadn't had an opportunity to plug that book in quite some time, eh? Thought I'd let you get back in the limelight by playing the straight man, as it were. It's actually one of my favorite books of its sort. I appreciate your style, sir. :!:
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)

Saepe veritas est dura.
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#11
Quote:When the enemy was near and could endanger the marching army a formation called agmen quadratum was used. Although the term is not very clear it seems quite probable that this was in fact a formation of three parallel columns marching side by side, from which the army could very quickly form the acies triplex.
Agmen quadratum just means "squared up", so it suggests two parallel columns with a space in between.
posted by Duncan B Campbell
https://ninth-legion.blogspot.com/
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#12
Thanks for the correction, sir.
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)

Saepe veritas est dura.
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#13
Thank you so much. My cup runneth over. I sent off for two of Prof. Cowan's Osprey books and I am immersing myself in all the resources that have been put at my disposal. Tony Big Grin
Tony Whalen (aka tonyodysseus)
nihil simul inventum et perfectum est. Cicero
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#14
Hi,

Quote:what I was, somewhat clumsily, referring to, was things like synchronous marching. Of course this may have took place during the battle (although I do not trust Vegetius' words - they may be wishful thinking, not a description of what actually happened), but I know no sources about the way soldiers marched when they were moving to their next camp.
I see now. Then you are right. Indeed we do not have such kind of details.

Quote:Agmen quadratum just means "squared up", so it suggests two parallel columns with a space in between.
I agree that it means "squared up", of course, nevertheless I wouldn't say this must suggest two parallel columns with a space in between. Actually the only thing we know about agmen quadratum (apart from the name) is that it is a defensive marching formation used when the enemy is nearly. Writing about defensive marching formations used when the enemy is near, Polybios claims that the Romans used three parallel columns marching side by side. As mentioned above, Caesar used similar formation in similar situations (well he talks about acies triplex). So I think it isn't very far fetched to identify the agmen quadratum with this kind of defensive formation that Polybius writes about (and in fact I do not know about any evidence for two parallel columns, which of course doesn't mean that the Romans didn't use anything similar). I think it's Perez Castro in the article I mentioned above who identified the agmen quadratum with the Polybian description, but it's quite some time since I have read it, so I'm not sure about all the arguments.

Greetings
Alexandr
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