07-22-2012, 04:13 PM
Quote:you have implied that I was suggesting that if a Roman soldier was promoted his space in the barrack room would be filled by a new recruit. I did not suggest that, nor is that what I believe. ... I would suggest that the archeological evidence of Roman barrack block structure points towards the Principles having one or two rooms allocated to them, in addition to those allocated to the ten conturberium each of 8 men. You actually say this in one of your own books. This would make a full strength century 84 men, including Centurion, Optio, Signifer and Tessararius, leaving aside the Cornicen.It still sounds (to me, at any rate) that you want to have your 80-man century and your principales. This is what I disagree with. The principales are numbered amongst the milites.
Quote:In general I subscribe to the theory that the Imperial Roman Army recruited its legions in mass enlistments at set periods.I'm afraid that I don't.
Quote:The Centurion and Principales had battle positions outside the formation of the century and it makes no military sense to include them in the calculation of the ideal number of men required for a block 10 files wide and 8 ranks deep.Your conclusion doesn't necessarily follow from your premiss. (Even if you subscribe to the idea of "ideal numbers" -- which I don't. If not even the famously regimented Spartan battle-line could manage same-depth files, what chance did the Romans have? :wink: )
