09-26-2014, 02:51 AM
Quote:Does anyone know by the way when hastati and principes stopped using hastae themselves, switching to pilum and gladius combo, leaving the spears to triarii?
Roman soldiers at the age of kings all used spears, since they copied the phalanx system from the Greeks of Magna Graecia.
Hastati means "spearmen", principes means "the first men" and the original name of the triarii ("third line of men") was pilani, which also means "spearmen", but from the word 'pilum', not from 'hasta'. Although triarii never used pila as far as we know.
And were the principes originally the first line, since their name would suggest just that? Did the lines get changed, or just the names of the lines...?
I think the name principes more had to do with the age of the men. First men/chief men, as in prime of life, not placement of battle line.
As for replacing the hastus with a pilum it would have taken place sometime after Polybius' histories in the 140s BC but before Caesar's time period nearly 100 years later. Most scholars attribute it as one of Marius' reforms and the abolishment of the property classes. However, I believe it was actually a reform instituted by Q.Caecilius Metellus during Jugurtha's war (Marius was a legate under him). Sallust's works show a clear distinction of Roman military organization, mentioning Roman cohorts for the first time coinciding with the battle of the Muthul River and after, in 109 BC. Personally I think the hasta were replaced with pila because of the nature of the Numidian enemy, nearly all light foot and cavalry skirmishers. Missile weapons were more effective than spears.
