Ist Cohort Size

[Forty-One]

Ian Richmond's plan of Inchtuthil (c. 84 to 86 AD) shows very convincingly that one of the cohorts there had five centuries with double the space allocated to them, and five small courtyard houses (presumably for the centurions). According to Keppie's book about the "Making of the Roman army" epigraphic evidence from this period, and later, only attests to the existence of five centurion posts in the first cohort.

[Matthew Amt]

RIght, I understood that there are literary references to 5 centurial posts in the first cohort, with slightly different names than in the other cohorts. *Plus* the archeological evidence of barracks blocks. However, I also believe it has been pointed out that this arrangement might not have been used in all legions.

On the *other* hand, it has been suggested that the Praetorian cohorts in Rome were *all* formed of 5 double-centuries, making the Guard's total strength closer to 2 legions. (I probably got that from Rankov's Osprey book.)

Matthew

[Correus]

I found the following link where Vegetius is mentioned having discused this in the 'epitoma rei militaris'. The link does point out that he was probably using a 3rd century source. The article goes on and gives some other source as well.

I do find the first line a bit dubious though when it says "It is generally recognized...". I was tought to question statements like this.