Velites and Hastatii

[Marcus Aemilius Longinus]

I dont think that the velites shield would have a spina as I always thought that was more associated with the shield used by equites or celtic cavalrymen.

As for how javelins were carried, most of the time reenactors only show them being gripped by the hand behind the shield and no suggestion of alternative methods of carrying the javelins. However I dont see any reason why they would not have carried the javelins in a quiver similar to that used by the cavalry men of Imperial times and some 3rd century light infantry.

In your last question about names could you rephrase that as I dont understand what you are asking?

[Sandoval]

Salvete omnes

Sure, Marcus, sorry about my english.

Different authors (Polybius, Livius come first to my mind) wrote about rorarii, velites, antesignarii, all of them always under some common ground. The poorest, the youngest, the lighter in combat, performing several duties... I red some current authors such Fernando Quesada and it seems to be that are the same named differently, but may I be wrong about?

About the shield, I have seen some reenactors using a kind of parma with spina. That's why I asked. In wich sources are they based on?

Good idea about the javelins! but would not a quiver be somehow a disturb in the pressumibly fast and skilled advance suppossed to this kind of troops?

Thank you for the answers!

[Marcus Aemilius Longinus]

No problem about the English, sure I know nothing in Spanish :roll:
I believe antesignami were in Caesar's time and were more or less legionaries that were issued skirmisher equipment (javelins, oval shield and no armour) They were equipped this way because their general wanted them to do specific tasks such as skirmish or be able to move faster than the legionaries in formation with armour. Antesignami basically translates as those who fight in front of the standards which as to my understanding means skirmisher. In any case these men only appear in the histories after the marian reforms AFAIK.
Rorarii were a class somewhere between velites and hastati in the early republican army. They carried a scutum, javelins and possibly some of them may have owned helmets. They were usually behind the hoplite or triarii line in battle. They had been phased out by the time of the 2nd Punic War but I dont know about the first and I believe they were still around when Pyrrhus was rampaging through Italy. However this is all off the top of my head and there are no doubt more experienced members of the forum who could correct me.
As for the parma, ........I dont see any good reason why they would or would not have had a spina on their shield. I only really based my answer in the previous post on personal preferences and dont have any real evidence to back it up. However all modern depictions that I have seen of velites in paintings have shields with a simple round boss. Actually I have seen an
image of a statuette that is in the Villa Giulia in Rome which is supposedly of a veles. While the stauette is quite worn and the angle of the photo makes it far from clear, it appears that the shield does have a spina rather than a round boss due to waht looks like a ridge running down the shield's length. The shield itself seems to be of an oval shape although this may be as a result of the angle of the photo. This statue does not show any javelins but the hand is poised in a position that implies he had held a javelin. Te photo is in the Osprey book Republican Roman Army 200-104BC
I really dont think I know enough about the period though to guide you for your impression as this is not my best time period. Out of curiosity if you have any pictures of the reenactors you are talking about could you post them up as republican reenactors seem relatively few and far between. And good luck with your impression.