Late Roman Unit Sizes

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Indeed, but in those instances do they preserve their separate identities? If Malalas is suggesting that this was a vexillation made up of elements from the two units (and, of course, I take Macedon's reservations into account), it would make sense, as they were used to working together. Incidentally, Ammianus 14.1.2 confirms the number of 1500. Rolfe's translation calls them 'mounted scouts' but Ammianus says nothing about their being mounted. The word he uses is excursatores which my dictionary calls 'skirmishers' but I suppose that, in this context, 'scouts' would do just as well. This said, the doubts about Malalas mean that it would be unsafe to rely upon him.

Isn't Cursatores the same as the Greek Koursorses?

I believe Malalas is just calling the two legions numeri. This again suggests that the word numerus could refer to military units of various sizes, and was not an exact term.

For the 4th century I agree. However, beginning in the 5th century there seems to be an established unit size for the Numerus, especially considering all the Palatina regiments are listed as Numerii.

So we have two detachments of two legions numbering 750 men each. That number works well with a 1500, 3000, or 6000 man Legion, purely in terms of divisibility.

But whose to say they were detachments? The Greek Text specifies he sent them out as scouts, not he sent detachments out as scouts.