08-10-2016, 08:51 PM
(08-10-2016, 08:03 PM)JaM Wrote: one technical question to early republican legion composition. If i take numbers given by Livy and Varo during times when tribes were expanded (232BC), it seems that Class I was about 36% of all men eligible for Legions (excluding those for naval service, and equestrians). these 36% of men would be wealthy enough to have ability to buy good quality armor (definitely over 10.000 drachmae Polybius mentioned), while those in Class II and III would still be most likely able to procure armor of lesser quality.
Anyway, if 36% is well armored, and we exclude Velites who have no armor, who represent 28% of all infantry in the legion, it leaves us with about 1500 men out of remaining 3000, were from Class I. but of course, this is only valid for Telamon campaign and beginning of Second Punic war.. not with the losses at Trebia, Trassimene and Cannae.
(let me know if i made any logical mistakes with my calculations)
The size of the centuries of the Centuriate Assembly were not equal. Seniores centuries of each class had less citizens than iuniore, just as many centuries (which meant few citizens had more voting power, which was the point behind it). Equestrians had 18 centuries, a whole lot less citizens than any other class, thus lots more voting power. Proletariat made up a decent sized chunk of all Roman citizens, and yet they had one voting century.
So that doesn't translate to actual numbers for legions and soldiers and armor.
