Files

[Paul Bardunias]

6ft could be for between files in single rank.. then you double it, making it tighter with 3ft per file.. yet the second (actually third and fourth) rank would be still 6ft away, and able to use javelins, while supporting the front row if needed.

Sure, but that is not how frontage is usually presented.  3ft per file is the order hoplites formed in- 90cm aspis rim to 90cm aspis rim.  Usually Romans are said to be in a frontage of 6'[ per man while fighting, which I doubt.  I agree with a 6' that doubled down to 3'.  The space between ranks is a pet peeve of mine.  Most have followed the Hellenistic fetishization of geometry and make the man have equal frontage and space between ranks.  Frontage is dictated by two things the minimum space a man needs to fight and the separation at which weapons can come in at angles that a man alone cannot easily defend from (hence the whole purpose of standing together).  It cannot easily be altered once the men are deployed because you have to do this a line measured in km.  You use doubling to get around this, either by rank where every other man steps ahead or by half files, where the rear half comes up on the left.  One exception to this in my opinion is what happened when hoplites charged. I thins case the whole line did converge to the right and reduce the frontage to something less than 90cm.  But the distance between ranks is not so limited.  You can easily be at a frontage of 3' and a depth of 6'.  Alternately you can be at 3' and have a man right up against you behind in support.   When we charged, we did not try to stay 3' behind the man in front.