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Optio equipment
#16
Quote:It surely makes sense to carry out the centurions orders with the staff, but I think there were more important things to do in the heat of battle.

I think this is one case where experience from mock combat is relevant. Even in a "unit" of just 10-12 men, It is effective to pull a man out of the line and place him behind it, where his job is to push the soldiers back in formation, if they start to give ground or even worse if they don't keep their files and start to close op.(because if you are standing too close to move, you loose)
And if soldiers trying to go forward out of formation pulling them back is also needed.

I have no experience with 80 man units. But with 30 men it is effective to have 2-3 men behind the line. This offcause not based on any sources but what works within the "reality" of a medieval mock battle.

In the roman formation, the soldiers in the 2nd rank properly did much of it controlling the first rank.. and so on. (again just my guess)
Thomas Aagaard
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