07-06-2012, 03:54 PM
Quote:It is one source: the De munitionibus castrorum, traditionally attributed to Hyginus (probably incorrectly, so many refer to the author as Pseudo-Hyginus).[/quote]
It occurs to me that there are other primary sources, namely archeological evidence. I therefore turned to my (secondary) source of the Osprey on "Roman Legionary Fortresses 27 BC - AD 378" to discover that you are actually the author.
On page 53 of your book you mention that some barracks had 12 pairs of rooms and one even 14. You speculated that it was possible that the extra space was allocated to the Principales (or junior officers) namely the signifer, optio and tesserarius (you did not mention the cornicen). This same point is made by Adrian Goldsworthy on page 86 of his "The Complete Roman Army" and by Graham Webster on page 197 of his "The Roman Imperial Army", both of whom stated there were normally at least 11 standard barrack rooms to a century. This is of course exactly the point I was making and would imply that these Principales were supernumerary to the 80 men in the rank and file of a full strength century.
In terms of tactical deployments Peter Connolly's diagram in "Greece and Rome at War" pages 217-218 show centurians immediately on the front right of their centuries, but not actually in the front rank, optios are at the rear and the tsserarius, signifer and cornicen are in front of each century. None of these posts are shown in the rank and file of the centuries. This is however a parade formation.
Ross Cowan's Osprey "Roman Battle Tactics 109 BC - AD 313 has a diagram on page 33 showing a pair of centuries in battle formation, one in close order and one in open order. In both cases the centurian and signifer are in the centre of the front rank with the cornicen in the second rank immediately behind the centurian. Both the Optio and Tesserarius are behind the rear rank as supernumeraries, and the note to the diagram mentions both had long staffs which could presumably be used to assist in pushing troops into formation (just like the late 18th century and early 19th century British sergeants halberds). Ross does mention that most reconstructions place the centurian on the right of his century, which was of course the traditional "post of honour", still was in battle formations of the 18th and early 19th centuries and still is in modern armies parade formations.
I also wonder about Hyginus description of a camp being prepared. I have not seen the original, but there is a summary in Webster's book. Although a centurian had comparatively palatial accommodation in a barracks I wonder whether he would not have had just a normal sized tent in the field, with a second normal sized one for the 3 or 4 principles, leaving 8 tents for the rest of the century (less the two contubernium on guard).
Bearing this in mind I do continue to wonder whether a full strength century was actually 85 personnel.
Rod
