05-23-2013, 10:32 AM
Quote:The whole point about not extending sideways once deployed is that it is simply not practicable once on the battlefield. If you are going to fight closed-up shield-to-shield, then you have to deploy on that basis from the outset. Trying to extend the actual frontage of any army in the face of the enemy is a tricky manoeuvre best accomplished with reserves and not any idea of getting everyone to shuffle side-ways.
But if if you start with the formation described in the third picture and then you close the files, you'll obtain a sort of wedge formation, and with a simple manouvre you can pass from this wedge to the array of the second pictures and then also to the close one. In this manouvre could have had an important role the two centurions, prior and posterior, at the right and at the left of maniple. I don' t think this is a difficult movement to do, even on the battlefield ( expecially if the soldiers are trained ) Speaking about that, I would recommend this video ( just the first minute) by Ars dimicandi:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zeVH881lY28
PS: I have take the pictures by Taylor's paper " Roman soldier in open order, Polybios 18.30 " It is available on the web http://www.academia.edu/3394799/Roman_So...ing_Paper_
It is very interesting ( I am a little insistent about this argoument, I know :-) )
Francesco Guidi
