frontage of a consular army

[Mark Hygate]

As for the Marian Legion - are you forgetting the 'lighter troops' (cf Caesar)?

Quote me that? Were these troops an integral part of the legion or were they specialist detachments meant for specific tasks?

Caesar Gallic Wars: 2/24; 7/18;  Civil Wars: 1/27; 2/34; 3/62;  Alexandrian Wars: 17; 37; 39; 50; 51; 52; 59; 60; 61; 65; 69; 75; 78; 81;
Spanish Wars: 14; 15; 20; 21; 23; 24; 25; 30;

There are more than enough references to "light-armed" troops (I am, however, reading a translation, so would appreciate any comments) and separate to archers and slingers that this seems a troop type that appears alongside the legionnaires.  It's a troop type also associated with non-Romans occasionally too.

Personally I have come to believe that these troops are a development of the old Velites into the Marian legion and beyond; serve as a template for the later 'standardised' Auxilia and appear to be described by Josephus.