07-02-2017, 06:13 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-02-2017, 08:23 AM by Longovicium.)
Oh very nice. I like it.
Can we put this century through some stress-testing, as it were?
So, as I see it, the diagram above contains 118 milites per century and this accounts for the different grades listed in the Perge Edict. Apart from the officers and super numeraries, you have the first rank filled with the Augustales of different grades, and the second and rear ranks filled with the Flaviales, again of different grades. Ranks 3 to 6 are the semisalles, 7 - 9 the remaining and unknown number of munifices, with four Armaturae filling the middle positions. The officers and supernumeries include the Ordinarius in charge, his administrative deputy, the Optio, the signifer (or Draconarius), the Cornicen, and finally the Imaginifer.
Both the Anonymous author writing under Justinian and Mauricius state that the Roman infantry had a one/two file numbering structure: Mauricius calls it the primani and the secundani while Anonymous calls it the protostrati and epistrati, respectively. If we stay with the Latin for now, this means that the front rank Augustales are the primani, the second rank flaviales are the secundani and so on until we get to the final rear rank of Flaviales who will be termed Primani. Now that is interesting because it means that if the order to split the century into a double or opposing fulcum is shouted out by the Ordinarius then each of the reverse-facing files is now led by an armoured Flaviales who is also a Primani. That would create a double-fulcum of uneven depth where the rear fulcum is five deep as opposed to the front main fulcum being six ranks deep but it does mean were the order to double the line come, then the rear Secundani step out as usual to slot in beside the rear-facing Primani.
Equally, with the century facing as normal, if the order to double the ranks is shouted out, all the secundani step out to the right and down one so that the century now occupies a 20-man frontage. The Flaviales in the second rank now step into the front alongside the Primani. As these are higher graded milites wearing armour, that works too. In the rear, it is slightly weaker in that the final rank Flaviales (the Primani) step into the penultimate rank of mixed munices and Armaturae.
If the century were to then face a rear attack (poor sods) and have to perform a double-fulcum command, that rear fulcum is slightly 'softer', as it were, than the front rank - but those Flaviales and Armaturae will be able to stiffen it I suspect.
Following on from Vegetius, Anonymous and Mauricius, all grades save the Munifices will be equipped with heavy armour whereas these latter will be more-lightly equipped and able to provide javelin and arrow support to the front ranks when engaged.
The weakness, I think, at the moment is the flanks - or more specifically, the rear file ranks. This is a soft-spot should the century be flanked. However, if we are talking about a number of centuries positioned all along a main battle-line in one, two or three lines deep then the left and right centuries en-mass could be equipped as heavy infantry to protect the battle-line from flank attacks.
Again, maths is not my strong suit - but can I ask why 36 munifices? If you reduced the century from the 11 depth here to 8 (Anonymous and Mauricius favour the usual 4, 8 and 16 file depths), you will lose 30 men - all munifices - and this will bring the century back into the often-accepted 80 strong (not including supernumeraries) figure. Ah, wait, no I have shot myself in the foot here: this would be a century with only 6 normal milites graded as munifices. That doesn't work at all, does it?
Can we put this century through some stress-testing, as it were?
So, as I see it, the diagram above contains 118 milites per century and this accounts for the different grades listed in the Perge Edict. Apart from the officers and super numeraries, you have the first rank filled with the Augustales of different grades, and the second and rear ranks filled with the Flaviales, again of different grades. Ranks 3 to 6 are the semisalles, 7 - 9 the remaining and unknown number of munifices, with four Armaturae filling the middle positions. The officers and supernumeries include the Ordinarius in charge, his administrative deputy, the Optio, the signifer (or Draconarius), the Cornicen, and finally the Imaginifer.
Both the Anonymous author writing under Justinian and Mauricius state that the Roman infantry had a one/two file numbering structure: Mauricius calls it the primani and the secundani while Anonymous calls it the protostrati and epistrati, respectively. If we stay with the Latin for now, this means that the front rank Augustales are the primani, the second rank flaviales are the secundani and so on until we get to the final rear rank of Flaviales who will be termed Primani. Now that is interesting because it means that if the order to split the century into a double or opposing fulcum is shouted out by the Ordinarius then each of the reverse-facing files is now led by an armoured Flaviales who is also a Primani. That would create a double-fulcum of uneven depth where the rear fulcum is five deep as opposed to the front main fulcum being six ranks deep but it does mean were the order to double the line come, then the rear Secundani step out as usual to slot in beside the rear-facing Primani.
Equally, with the century facing as normal, if the order to double the ranks is shouted out, all the secundani step out to the right and down one so that the century now occupies a 20-man frontage. The Flaviales in the second rank now step into the front alongside the Primani. As these are higher graded milites wearing armour, that works too. In the rear, it is slightly weaker in that the final rank Flaviales (the Primani) step into the penultimate rank of mixed munices and Armaturae.
If the century were to then face a rear attack (poor sods) and have to perform a double-fulcum command, that rear fulcum is slightly 'softer', as it were, than the front rank - but those Flaviales and Armaturae will be able to stiffen it I suspect.
Following on from Vegetius, Anonymous and Mauricius, all grades save the Munifices will be equipped with heavy armour whereas these latter will be more-lightly equipped and able to provide javelin and arrow support to the front ranks when engaged.
The weakness, I think, at the moment is the flanks - or more specifically, the rear file ranks. This is a soft-spot should the century be flanked. However, if we are talking about a number of centuries positioned all along a main battle-line in one, two or three lines deep then the left and right centuries en-mass could be equipped as heavy infantry to protect the battle-line from flank attacks.
Again, maths is not my strong suit - but can I ask why 36 munifices? If you reduced the century from the 11 depth here to 8 (Anonymous and Mauricius favour the usual 4, 8 and 16 file depths), you will lose 30 men - all munifices - and this will bring the century back into the often-accepted 80 strong (not including supernumeraries) figure. Ah, wait, no I have shot myself in the foot here: this would be a century with only 6 normal milites graded as munifices. That doesn't work at all, does it?
Francis Hagan
The Barcarii
The Barcarii
