frontage of a consular army

[Mark Hygate]

........, which gives the spacing shown in Diagram 2. ......................
.............This means in fact that each man occupies a space measuring three by three feet.

Thank you Justin, that was most informative and I bow to your ability to read in the original - the one skill I don't possess!

I almost completely agree with your interpretation, except in a couple of areas...

The diagram is, I believe, perfectly laid out - except that I have become convinced that the Romans us one pace (2.5ft) rather than 3ft.  Polybius own experience as a Greek soldier leads him to believe it's 3 feet and, unless he chose to ask for accuracy, he probably never questioned it.

The issue of depth is more interesting, particularly when it comes to formations, moving and the actual contact stage.  The 2.5ft/3ft space is sufficient for the small discreet movements needed just before combat, but more, perhaps most likely doubled (another reason I prefer the pace after many years marching and teaching it) is needed for general and tactical movement.

However, for the actual contact (using indeed a Pike-armed syntagma facing a Roman maniple) then I do not believe measured depth is a necessary idea.  For to both provide the phalanx's inertia that the Roman's are trying to resist (before then 'manipulating' their formation(s) to break up the enemy line); you need the following ranks to press up hard against the front.  In the Pike phalanx it's the following 4 rows, all leaning forward with their pike heads protruding (exactly as described) - the final, up to, 11 ranks are all busy holding their pikes up.  The Romans use 6 ranks total.  Anything above the 6th rank couldn't contribute much due to diminishing returns.  6 ranks is just enough.  On perfectly level ground it often doesn't seem to be enough, but any ground conditions that can disrupt the phalanx's forward progession make it more likely.

For this condition is another reason I think the one-pace is used; for I see the Roman shields being side-by-side trying to prevent any gaps, with each man hunched inside the curve covered from eyes to shin and pressing the whole left-hand side of his body into the effort.  Which is, indeed, the reason the sword is carried on the right!  For if it was trapped inside the shield it couldn't be drawn; and for the initail phase of such a contact it's the shield that is the weapon - until such time as the enemy line is broken - the entire raison d'etre of the Roman tactics.