04-13-2014, 01:21 AM
Evan wrote:
AFAIK Principate Auxiliary units were 600 and 800 (quingenary and milliary) - ish.
You are reading a story about 500 American soldiers crossing a river. That is all the information you have. So what are you going to make of it? Do you come to the conclusion that their army organisation is based on increments of 500 men? You can’t because you need more information.
Taking the premise an American battalion numbers 700 men organised into four companies each of 175 men, the 500 men could equate to three companies numbering 525 men. Has the author rounded the figure of 525 men to 500 men? If the author has done this, does it mean it is not a full battalion that is crossing the river?
Returning to the figure of 800 men for the Late Roman army, which is a figure reported twice by Ammianus in reference to crossing a river, who are the 800 men? Are they all the men from a unit, or part of a unit? And is the figure of 800 men rounded?
To answer the question you need more information….and where are you going to find it?
AFAIK Principate Auxiliary units were 600 and 800 (quingenary and milliary) - ish.
You are reading a story about 500 American soldiers crossing a river. That is all the information you have. So what are you going to make of it? Do you come to the conclusion that their army organisation is based on increments of 500 men? You can’t because you need more information.
Taking the premise an American battalion numbers 700 men organised into four companies each of 175 men, the 500 men could equate to three companies numbering 525 men. Has the author rounded the figure of 525 men to 500 men? If the author has done this, does it mean it is not a full battalion that is crossing the river?
Returning to the figure of 800 men for the Late Roman army, which is a figure reported twice by Ammianus in reference to crossing a river, who are the 800 men? Are they all the men from a unit, or part of a unit? And is the figure of 800 men rounded?
To answer the question you need more information….and where are you going to find it?
