01-07-2013, 11:13 PM
As far as the Middle Republican army goes, I don't have a clear idea of how it was organized.
Alae sociorum would vary from the same size as the legions to being half again as large as the legions. The Romans may have grouped the socii together, so that each group would be responsible for raising 2 centuries of hastati, 2 centuries of principes, etc. But if so, they must have grouped them differently when the alae sociorum were the same size and when the alae sociorum were larger.
Polybius' description of the Roman camp makes more sense if the alae sociorum were the same size as the legiones. If the extraordinarii were formed of two centuries of hastati, 2 of principes, and 1 of triarii - assuming the velites were divided among these centuries - then the alignment of the camp gets thrown off. If the extraordinarii were organized like the triarii, then the alignment fits, although there are still some unclear bits.
I suspect a cohort could refer to different force sizes before it was standardized to the Marian cohort. It might refer to a series of 2 centuries of hastati, 2 of principes, and 1 of triarii/extraordinarii. It might refer to a line of 10 maniples. It might refer to an ad-hoc detachment.
Alae sociorum would vary from the same size as the legions to being half again as large as the legions. The Romans may have grouped the socii together, so that each group would be responsible for raising 2 centuries of hastati, 2 centuries of principes, etc. But if so, they must have grouped them differently when the alae sociorum were the same size and when the alae sociorum were larger.
Polybius' description of the Roman camp makes more sense if the alae sociorum were the same size as the legiones. If the extraordinarii were formed of two centuries of hastati, 2 of principes, and 1 of triarii - assuming the velites were divided among these centuries - then the alignment of the camp gets thrown off. If the extraordinarii were organized like the triarii, then the alignment fits, although there are still some unclear bits.
I suspect a cohort could refer to different force sizes before it was standardized to the Marian cohort. It might refer to a series of 2 centuries of hastati, 2 of principes, and 1 of triarii/extraordinarii. It might refer to a line of 10 maniples. It might refer to an ad-hoc detachment.