Roman Legion in late Antiquity

[Mark Hygate]

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Polybius does not state the triarii were specifically organised into maniples, nor does Livy in his description of the maniple legion. Livy mentions ordines for the triarii, and maniples for the hastati and principes. This is a very important point that everyone overlooks...................

Okay, I'll bite!

Please re-read - for I didn't say that he did. :wink:

But, given I'm reading a translation and not the original Greek, please help me understand in what way the opening paragraph of BkVI/24 shows that the Triarii are organised any differently to the others? ie not in sub-unit pairings with 2 Centurions, 2 Optios and 2 Signifers each?

Not again (translation) having picked up on the Livy differentiation, I would be quite happy that he used a different, but I believe very similar and often having the same meaning, term for a maniple at normal half-strength being called an ordo/ordine. That would make sense.

I have come to think my theory (and its adjuncts) might have some merit, but the only way it might become a possibility is from help by people like yourself to understand the detail of the sources we do have, given I'm not able to interpret ancient Greek myself. We may still disagree on resulting interpretations, but the help would be appreciated.