Late Roman Unit Sizes

[antiochus]

Nathan wrote:
You might be interested in this quote, from de rebus bellicis (5,5): scilicet ut centeni aut quinquageni iuniores, extra hos qui in matriculis continentur, habeantur in promptu armis exerciti et minori utpote tirones stipendio sublevati, in locum amissorum si res ita tulerit subrogandi

I can't find a translation and don't know latin, but Richard Duncan-Jones (Structure and Scale in the Roman Economy) claims it "suggests that gaps in the standing army should be filled" by the recruitment of subunits of 50 and (?) 100 men. This, Duncan-Jones says, "suggests that the writer was thinking of unit-sizes current in his own day". I'm not sure whether the mention of iuniores is at all significant...

Thanks Nathan. I am seeing about getting a translation done. I will pass it on. It there a time frame for the above Latin? The reference to the sub-unit of 50 men has made me question the meaning of the term seniores. I am now wondering if the Romans have returned to the old centurion command structure of the senior on the right and the junior on the left. This process would also automatically get rid of the prior and posterior century structure. Much too ponder.

Best regards