08-12-2001, 08:49 AM
Battle formation depth<br>
<br>
There are varying depths recorded of battle lines. In Josephus battle lines of three men deep or three deep with an extra line of archers are recorded. His marching orders are six men wide and this probably represented the depth of a unit's battle line. Arrianus has a battle line of four ranks of <i> kontophoroi</i>, legionary heavy infantrymen probably armed with the <i> pilum</i>, and four ranks of <i> lonchophoroi</i>, legionary heavy infantrymen armed with a light javelin, with an added ninth rank of archers. His marching order is four men deep. There is a single instance of a battle line ten men deep, involving a recently formed legion and probably reflecting the lack of experience of the troops as well as the full strength of a newly formed unit. The Byzantine era handbook of Mauricius (late 6th century CE) contains formations of sixteen, eight and four men deep with either fou, two or one ranks of light troops attached to the ranks of heavy infantry. However it is unsure to what extent one can use this later source for the Roman army of previous centuries. While part of the material has close parallels with earlier sources, other parts are markedly different from what is known for earlier periods.<br>
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Thus there are predominantly records for lines either three and six or four and eight men deep with at times extra ranks of differently armed soldiers. Whether this was a result of a different organisation or simply caused by varying strengths of formations is unsure. Deeper formations can be a token of either the low morale of units, a marching order for faster manoeuvre (less files to be kept abreast) or special precaution against cavalry attack. Shallower lines are possibly units having moved up the files to a close order formation before contact in infantry fighting. The latter could explain the difference in width allowed per file (6 vs 3 feet) in the battle orders of Polybius and Vegetius. Such a manoeuvre is described in the hanbook of Mauricius.<br>
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Arrianus, <i> Ektaxis</i> 4 (four abreast); 5 (idem); 6 (idem); 15 (eight deep); 16-18 (four heavy <i> kontophoroi</i>, four heavy <i> lonchophoroi</i>, one archers).<br>
Frontinus, <i> Strategemata</i> 2.3.22.<br>
Josephus, <i> Bellum Judaicum</i>, 2.156 (three deep); 5.135 (three deep plus fourth rank of archers); 3.124 (marching order six abreast); 5.48 (idem).<br>
Mauricius, <i> Strategikon</i>, 8.7 (sixteen plus four, eight plus two, four plus one).<br>
Vegetius, <i> Epitoma rei militaris</i> 3.15 (depth of ten, six or three).<br>
Goldsworthy, <i> Roman army at war</i>, 176-183.<br>
<br>
<br>
Composite battle line<br>
<br>
The description of the battle lines in Vegetius has been interpreted by modern scholars as representing perhaps the makeup of a single battle line with ranks of differently armed men. Such a composite battle formation has both earlier and later parallels in the Roman army. The most clear indication for such a formation is in Arrian's <i> Ektaxis</i> with its nine ranks of troops armed with three different primary weapons. While this may have been inspired by descriptions of such a formation in Xenophoon's <i> Cyropaedia</i> or by experiments in the army of Alexander the Great's last years, the mention of a heavy infantry battle line with an extra rank of archers incorporated in Josephus may serve to caution the interpretation of Arrian's tactics as particularly innovative. Mauricius provides the clearest description of the composite battle line with differently equipped soldiers in the various ranks of the same formation, the light troops either stationed at the rear of the heavy troops or forming alternating ranks.<br>
<br>
Arrianus, <i> Anabasis</i>, 7.23.3-4.<br>
<br>
<br>
Relevant books<br>
<br>
Dennis, G.T., <i> Maurice's Strategikon. handbook of Byzantine military strategy</i> ( Philadelphia 1984)178p.<br>
Goldsworthy, A.K., <i> The Roman army at war 100 BC-200AD (Oxford 1996)</i> 311p.<br>
Milner, N.P., <i> Vegetius: epitome of military science</i> (Liverpool 1993) 152p.<br>
<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst<br>
<p></p><i></i>
<br>
There are varying depths recorded of battle lines. In Josephus battle lines of three men deep or three deep with an extra line of archers are recorded. His marching orders are six men wide and this probably represented the depth of a unit's battle line. Arrianus has a battle line of four ranks of <i> kontophoroi</i>, legionary heavy infantrymen probably armed with the <i> pilum</i>, and four ranks of <i> lonchophoroi</i>, legionary heavy infantrymen armed with a light javelin, with an added ninth rank of archers. His marching order is four men deep. There is a single instance of a battle line ten men deep, involving a recently formed legion and probably reflecting the lack of experience of the troops as well as the full strength of a newly formed unit. The Byzantine era handbook of Mauricius (late 6th century CE) contains formations of sixteen, eight and four men deep with either fou, two or one ranks of light troops attached to the ranks of heavy infantry. However it is unsure to what extent one can use this later source for the Roman army of previous centuries. While part of the material has close parallels with earlier sources, other parts are markedly different from what is known for earlier periods.<br>
<br>
Thus there are predominantly records for lines either three and six or four and eight men deep with at times extra ranks of differently armed soldiers. Whether this was a result of a different organisation or simply caused by varying strengths of formations is unsure. Deeper formations can be a token of either the low morale of units, a marching order for faster manoeuvre (less files to be kept abreast) or special precaution against cavalry attack. Shallower lines are possibly units having moved up the files to a close order formation before contact in infantry fighting. The latter could explain the difference in width allowed per file (6 vs 3 feet) in the battle orders of Polybius and Vegetius. Such a manoeuvre is described in the hanbook of Mauricius.<br>
<br>
Arrianus, <i> Ektaxis</i> 4 (four abreast); 5 (idem); 6 (idem); 15 (eight deep); 16-18 (four heavy <i> kontophoroi</i>, four heavy <i> lonchophoroi</i>, one archers).<br>
Frontinus, <i> Strategemata</i> 2.3.22.<br>
Josephus, <i> Bellum Judaicum</i>, 2.156 (three deep); 5.135 (three deep plus fourth rank of archers); 3.124 (marching order six abreast); 5.48 (idem).<br>
Mauricius, <i> Strategikon</i>, 8.7 (sixteen plus four, eight plus two, four plus one).<br>
Vegetius, <i> Epitoma rei militaris</i> 3.15 (depth of ten, six or three).<br>
Goldsworthy, <i> Roman army at war</i>, 176-183.<br>
<br>
<br>
Composite battle line<br>
<br>
The description of the battle lines in Vegetius has been interpreted by modern scholars as representing perhaps the makeup of a single battle line with ranks of differently armed men. Such a composite battle formation has both earlier and later parallels in the Roman army. The most clear indication for such a formation is in Arrian's <i> Ektaxis</i> with its nine ranks of troops armed with three different primary weapons. While this may have been inspired by descriptions of such a formation in Xenophoon's <i> Cyropaedia</i> or by experiments in the army of Alexander the Great's last years, the mention of a heavy infantry battle line with an extra rank of archers incorporated in Josephus may serve to caution the interpretation of Arrian's tactics as particularly innovative. Mauricius provides the clearest description of the composite battle line with differently equipped soldiers in the various ranks of the same formation, the light troops either stationed at the rear of the heavy troops or forming alternating ranks.<br>
<br>
Arrianus, <i> Anabasis</i>, 7.23.3-4.<br>
<br>
<br>
Relevant books<br>
<br>
Dennis, G.T., <i> Maurice's Strategikon. handbook of Byzantine military strategy</i> ( Philadelphia 1984)178p.<br>
Goldsworthy, A.K., <i> The Roman army at war 100 BC-200AD (Oxford 1996)</i> 311p.<br>
Milner, N.P., <i> Vegetius: epitome of military science</i> (Liverpool 1993) 152p.<br>
<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst<br>
<p></p><i></i>
