Late Roman Unit Sizes

[Nathan Ross]

In the next years until the time of Heraclius we find papyri calling the old units "numerus legionum" (αριθμος τον λεγεονων) or "numerus coortis".

Aha, fantastic! I've been wondering for a while whether such a term might have existed - I guessed something like numerus legionis - but even if it wasn't used earlier (because unnecessary?) it proves that the late Romans could and did distinuish between different types of numeri. Perhaps we could also assume the existence of a numerus auxilium, besides the numerus equitum mentioned in the inscription I quoted before?

I can imagine very well what happened to Maurice when he saw the first time this colorful bunch on the battlefield.

I'm sure! Is it not possible, in fact, that a military manual written by an emperor would not be intended merely to record a current situation, but rather to lay down some principles of reorganisation? So the Strategikon would act as a plan for a future army, rather than a picture of the current one.

Campidoctor was certainly not the Senior Centurion since that title had been around since the Principate, at least.

It had, although the meaning seems to have altered. Far from being only 'drill instructors', as before, the later campidoctores seem to have been among the most senior officers in the legion, leading attacks and even crowning emperors.

Perhaps the introduction of ordinarius as a new title for centurions might obscure the fact that the campidoctores were centurions too - the most senior, perhaps, similar to the old primi ordines, or even the praefectus castrorum and primus pilus?

I should probably have another read through Rance's essay on the subject...