09-10-2014, 06:23 AM
As the title says who commanded the velites? If the velites are skirmishing in front of the legion, they must have some sort of command system. I find it hard to accept that the centurions of the hastati would be commanding the velites while they skirmished, then these same centurions be expected to command the hastati once the skirmishing of the velites is terminated.
Livy’s ordo system for 340 BC has the rorarii allocated centurions, so why wouldn’t the velites? Polybius’ description of the velites at Zama would imply they have a command structure. Although Polybius gives the number of military tribunes to a legion at six, I believe this only applies to the standard legion relating to the four property classes. However, like the rorarii, the velites are proletarii and therefore, the legion has five property classes with the velites.
For the battle of Cannae, Plutarch numbers the Roman army at 88,000 men in battle array. The number I have is greater than 88,000 men. However, when I remove from the total all those non fighting personal and leave only those in battle array (infantry and cavalry), I get exactly 88,000 men. There is no fudging or rounding. Because they are emergency legions, there are more military tribunes in command of the legion, and when there are more military tribunes there are more centurions. So if I follow the numbers, the velites should be under the command of centurions and military tribunes.
But if anyone can refute this I would be more than happy to hear their point of view.
Livy’s ordo system for 340 BC has the rorarii allocated centurions, so why wouldn’t the velites? Polybius’ description of the velites at Zama would imply they have a command structure. Although Polybius gives the number of military tribunes to a legion at six, I believe this only applies to the standard legion relating to the four property classes. However, like the rorarii, the velites are proletarii and therefore, the legion has five property classes with the velites.
For the battle of Cannae, Plutarch numbers the Roman army at 88,000 men in battle array. The number I have is greater than 88,000 men. However, when I remove from the total all those non fighting personal and leave only those in battle array (infantry and cavalry), I get exactly 88,000 men. There is no fudging or rounding. Because they are emergency legions, there are more military tribunes in command of the legion, and when there are more military tribunes there are more centurions. So if I follow the numbers, the velites should be under the command of centurions and military tribunes.
But if anyone can refute this I would be more than happy to hear their point of view.
