frontage of a consular army

[Justin Swanton]

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.

Gallic Wars
2.24: The light-armed troops work in conjunction with the cavalry, not the legions. I notice that the term for them is levisque armaturae pedites - "the foot with light armament", which is interesting as this is a descriptive term, i.e. foot who happen to have light equipment, as opposed to a technical term like "leves" or "velites".

7.18: this refers to Vercingetorix's "unencumbered" troops - expeditus - who generally work with the cavalry. Light infantry fighting with cavalry was a standard tactic used by Greeks, Macedonians, etc. Cavalry files were generally about two yards wide, allowing enough room for light troops between them who could hamstring enemy horses or kill their riders who were preoccupied with the light troops' own cavalry.

Civil Wars
1.27: This refers (as far as I can see) to archers and slingers placed on walls and towers.

2.34: This again refers to "lightly armed" - levis armaturae -  placed amongst the cavalry.

3.62: More "lightly armed" who take part in a night operation with archers, and separately from the cohorts.

Alexandrian Wars
17: The "lightly armed" are described as an entity separate from the cohorts and are sent on a naval mission to an island.
37: Don't see any light troops in this passage

39: Nor here

50: nor here

51: Nor here

52: Nor here

59-61: Nor here

65: Nor here

69: Nor here

75: Nor here

78: Nor here

81: Does Alexandrian Wars have a Chapter 81?

Spanish Wars
14: The "lightly armed foot" are with the cavalry

15: This is a specialised unit - "select lightly armed foot", pedites levi armatura electi - specially intended to fight cavalry. They do not work as part of the cohorts.

20: these are lightly armed foot who work with the cavalry in a cavalry engagement.

21: Ditto

23: Ditto

24: the lightly armed foot are described as separate from the legionaries in the casualty list.

25: the lightly armed foot are a camp guard

30: the lightly armed troops are on the flanks with the cavalry. They are clearly not part of the legions.

Overall it is clear that light troops were an integral part of Caesar's army but they were not an integral part of the legions, being attached rather to the cavalry though they could operate independently on occasion.