05-07-2011, 06:49 PM
There must have been time allocated for legion formation drills as well. Going from a Legion march column to a battle column (column of cohorts in battle formation) and transitioning into the triple or double line (of cohorts) is something that could be quite complex for new troops and must be practiced. Like the training of Napoleon's Army at Boulogne just prior to his wars the formation training would have started at the lowest level and progressed from century to cohort to legion probably as he did by allocating specific days of the week. Maneuvering the legion's cavalry wings and throwing out light cohorts as skirmishers (or auxilia) would also be trained on so that these elements could properly support each other and the main battle line.
