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Late Roman Army Grade/Rank List under Anastasius
#53
Nathan, I tried some hypothesizing using the various grades and ranks but gave up in the end, once the second bottle of wine was opened. Below are some of my thoughts in no particular rigorous order. Make of them what you will - remember alcohol figures large in some of the calculations so I have probably made some gross errors!

Commanding Officer - Tribune Maior
Second-in-Command - Tribune Minor (Vicarius/Primicerius)
 
Numbers of 20:
 
Ordinarii
Augustales
Armaturae Duplares
Armaturae Semissales
 
If the Legion in question comprises of 20 tactical units with each unit comprising a century of 80 men (10 tent-sections of 8 men), then the notional unit strength will be 1,600 men. Centuries were coupled into priores and posteriores. This allows a theoretical double-strength century to be brigaded together. For the sake of this paper, I will call this double-century a maniple while acknowledging this is possibly an archaic term.
 
The Contubernium:
 
At the lowest level of tactical organization - the tent-section of 8 men - we would find the: 1 x Flaviales grade ranker; 7 Munifices. The rankers get 1 annona each. The tent-section leader gets 1.5 annona plus 1.5 annona commuted into gold. Whilst his grade is that of a Flaviales, his rank is that of a Biarchus.
So we have a contubernium of pedes graded as Munifices led by a Biarchus graded as a Flaviales. Rank and grade are important distinctions; one indicates command ranking in the unit and the other indicates status and pay.
 A Biarchus has 2 possible grades: Flaviales and the lesser Flaviales alii. 7 of the 10 contubernia within a century are thus rated as commanded by the lesser graded Flaviales alii. The remaining 3 of those 10 contubernia contain 1 x Flaviales at the higher grade of 2.5 annona plus 1.5 annona commuted into gold. All the Munifices are paid the same regardless of which Biarchus they are assigned to grade-wise.
Where do the Augustales stand? There are 120 of 3 different grades. 20 + 30 + 70 in decreasing seniority. 30 + 70 makes 100. Or 5 per century.
 
 
A single Century comprises of:
 
1 x Ordinarius/Centurion  - 1 per Century
1 x Centurion of Augustales grade  - 1 per Century
1 x Armaturae Duplares  - 1 per Century
1 x Armaturae Semissales - 1 per Century
5 x Augustales (lesser grades) 1 per every 2 Contubernia
10 x Flaviales (all grades) - 1 per Contubernia
 
Numbers of 10:
 
Signiferi
Imaginiferi
Optiones
 
A double-century or maniple contains 1 Signiferi and 1 Imaginiferi and 1 Optiones each.
 
There are a total of 100 'lesser' Augustales which allows 5 per century.
 
There are a total of 200 Flaviales which allows 10 per century.
 
There are 20 full grade Augustales, one per century.
 
There are 10 Optiones, one per double century.
 
The total number of men minus the incomplete Clerici, Deputati and Munifices is 1,113.
 
A hypothetical legion strength of 1,600 men minus 1,113 equals 487. This last figure needs the Clerici and Deputati to be subtracted to arrive at the incomplete -59 figure. So, for example, if the incomplete figure was 359 then there would be 128 of these ranks. If it was 259, it would be 228.
 
 
OK - let's go through this again:
 
A Contubernium of 8 men consists of 7 pedes and 1 'biarchus' graded as either a Flaviales or a Flaviales aii.
 
10 Contubernia comprise a Century. That is 80 men.
                Of that 80, 7 will be Flaviales aii and 3 will be Flaviales.
                The Century will be commanded by 1 Ordinarius.
                There will be 1 Augustales.
                There will be 5 'lesser' Augustales.
                There will be 1 Armaturae Duplares.
                There will be 1 Armaturae Semissales.
 
Thus if we take into account the fact that the officers and higher grades above the Flaviales are supernumerary to the Contubernium, then the total for the Century is:  89.
 
A double Century, the combined priores and posteriores, also has allotted to it the Signifer (or Draconarius), the Imaginifer, the Vexillarius, and the Optio. Again, these are supernumerary and add an additional 4 men to the combined Centuries. Thus a double-Century has a paper-strength of 182.
 
10 double-Centuries produce a total of 1,820 men. Supernumerary to this combined number will be the following: 2 Librarii, 3 Mensores, 4 Tubicines, 8 Cornicines, 2 Bucinatores, 1 Praeco, 4 Beneficiarii, and 2 Tribuni. This will add a total of 26 additional men to the 20 Centuries.
 
Thus the combined total now stands at 1,846. To this, again, can be added the 275 mounted Veredarii for a total of 2121.
Francis Hagan

The Barcarii
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RE: Late Roman Army Grade/Rank List under Anastasius - by Longovicium - 08-17-2016, 06:12 AM

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