"Thank you for untangling the legion for me." Topic

Hello All,

Good if a field army roman legion from the 4th or 5th century varied, at most, between 1,000 and 1,200 stong …

What do we find in it ?

A proportion of light infantry (lanciarii)?

But how many men ?

A proportion of men armed with long range missile weapons (legionary archer)?

But how many men ?

A proportion of light cavalrymen (Promoti)?

But how many men ?

Another proportion of a other light infantry type armed with long range missile weapons as bows, javelots, slings, crossbows and staff slings ?

But how many men?

Thank you for untangling the legion for me.

We don't even really know if 1000-1200 was the standard strength for a legion, though it seems likely. The Perge inscription, dating from the reign of Anastasius in the East at the end of the 5th century, suggests a much larger legion, though unfortunately the figure for the number of common soldiers is incomplete (see link particularly pp.186-187 by the article's pagination, 54-55 of the pdf). The numbers of light infantry and so forth within a legion are little more than guesswork.

We don't even really know if 1000-1200 was the standard strength for a legion? bavo GurKhan, well it's perfect from what I just read on the PdF, let's say that they counted at least 1000-1200, it's a good start but the most important is what types of fighters made it up and in what proportions?

Well, I think all we can say with any sort of certainty is:

- No Promoti cavalrymen, they were hived off into completely separate units in the 3rd century.
- However the Perge inscription suggests 50 or 275 other light horsemen, the veredarii (50 veredarii and 225 veredarii alii; Onur thinks they're veredarii-in-waiting, but who knows); a bit scanty for a combat force, maybe scouts and messengers. And of course if the Perge inscription is for a larger legion than the usual field-army, other legions may have had fewer horsemen.
- Vegetius says "A third or fourth of the youngest and fittest soldiers should also be exercised at the post with bows and arrows made for that purpose only". Of course not every man who trained with a bow may have necessarily become an actual archer; and real armies may not have corresponded to Vegetius' model.

The veredarii would replace the legionary horsemen???

But they were imperial emissaries under the Lower Empire; not fighters?

What outfits and equipment were they wearing?

Like the Promoti?

No lanciarii and no ultra-light infantry with long range missile weapons as bows, javelins, slings, crossbows and staff slings?

In conclusion,there were only legionaries in molded muscle cuirass of rawhide with attached pteruges ;-) armed with verutum and other legionaries armed with bows, wearing helmets but without molded muscle cuirass of rawhide with attached pteruges ;-)?

I recollect reading that the field army legions (nominally 1000-1200) were a lot smaller than the old border legions, and they co-existed. Some of the field army legions were probably 100% lanciarii, such as the Lanciarii Honoriani Gallicani.

Lanciarii dressed, armed, equipped like lanciarii from the 4th century or is it just an honorary title?

100% lanciarii? No legionary archers in it?

As Flavius Aetius said, "I lose my Latin there !"