05-24-2017, 12:08 PM
Marcel wrote:
There are some indication that a veteran vexilla was also fixed part to some cohorts during the time in question, forming its own centuria. (CIL V 4903: vexillarius / veter(anorum) leg(ionis) IIII ).
My conclusion is that when in camp, the veteran cohort was billeted next to the first cohort of the legion. If there were 2 veteran cohorts with a legion, the second veteran cohort was distributed among the 10 cohorts of the legion, thereby allocating each cohort an additional 48 men or 6 tents. Hyginus (5 and 24) also mentions the banner carriers being camped next to the first cohort.
Hyginus’ calculations dart in and out between a 400 man cohort and a 480 man cohort, giving the impression 80 men are somewhere else. Hyginus allocates a century of 80 men as having 10 tents but he also implies this must include the centurion’s tent in the allocated space. The controversy over the 4 men in each watch so that no more than 8 tents are pitched, or it could be 16 men, I have interpreted to be that of the 10 tents, the centurion has one tent (possibly with the optio), and the 80 soldiers 9 tents. Although this works out that 72 soldiers have tents, I am taking the premise that 8 soldiers per century are always on guard duty, so as 8 men return from guard duty, they occupy the next 8 men’s tent that are relieving them.
There are some indication that a veteran vexilla was also fixed part to some cohorts during the time in question, forming its own centuria. (CIL V 4903: vexillarius / veter(anorum) leg(ionis) IIII ).
My conclusion is that when in camp, the veteran cohort was billeted next to the first cohort of the legion. If there were 2 veteran cohorts with a legion, the second veteran cohort was distributed among the 10 cohorts of the legion, thereby allocating each cohort an additional 48 men or 6 tents. Hyginus (5 and 24) also mentions the banner carriers being camped next to the first cohort.
Hyginus’ calculations dart in and out between a 400 man cohort and a 480 man cohort, giving the impression 80 men are somewhere else. Hyginus allocates a century of 80 men as having 10 tents but he also implies this must include the centurion’s tent in the allocated space. The controversy over the 4 men in each watch so that no more than 8 tents are pitched, or it could be 16 men, I have interpreted to be that of the 10 tents, the centurion has one tent (possibly with the optio), and the 80 soldiers 9 tents. Although this works out that 72 soldiers have tents, I am taking the premise that 8 soldiers per century are always on guard duty, so as 8 men return from guard duty, they occupy the next 8 men’s tent that are relieving them.
