09-22-2006, 07:52 AM
Good!! 
In that case - I'm really not sure if the LEG III was organised in cohorts by that time. And if it was, I'm not sure if there would've been a 5th cohort. We see the large 'old style legions' being split up from the late 3rd to the 4th century. Of course we can't tell if this was a universal process which extended to all units.
It seems that legions were split in two parts, the one half becoming a seniors and the other half a iuniores split-off. If not, legions ‘melted down’ along natural ways of losses by enemy action and vexillations that never returned. So far I have found no evidence that, by the 5th c., legions existed in the old strength – my guess would be that a 5th cohort would be extremely under strength or non-existent.
Legio III Italica was according to Ritterling a pseudocomitatensan unit in the East, which indicates that it was originally a border legion that at some point was raised to field army status. It seems unlikely that it retained its strength and all the cohort along the route, meaning that a 5th cohort may not have existed in the 5th century.
I’ll check if Hoffmann has more on this.
In that case - I'm really not sure if the LEG III was organised in cohorts by that time. And if it was, I'm not sure if there would've been a 5th cohort. We see the large 'old style legions' being split up from the late 3rd to the 4th century. Of course we can't tell if this was a universal process which extended to all units.
It seems that legions were split in two parts, the one half becoming a seniors and the other half a iuniores split-off. If not, legions ‘melted down’ along natural ways of losses by enemy action and vexillations that never returned. So far I have found no evidence that, by the 5th c., legions existed in the old strength – my guess would be that a 5th cohort would be extremely under strength or non-existent.
Legio III Italica was according to Ritterling a pseudocomitatensan unit in the East, which indicates that it was originally a border legion that at some point was raised to field army status. It seems unlikely that it retained its strength and all the cohort along the route, meaning that a 5th cohort may not have existed in the 5th century.
I’ll check if Hoffmann has more on this.
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
