Century X's Auxilia Legion System

[century x]

The guitarist was really random

He is my favorite. AC/DC is the reason why I got into playing guitar.

[rory o'kane]

I always thought that the Auxiliaries were different every where you went in the empire different shields and equipment

Augustus standardised the Auxilia, into permanent units -("Quingenaria" - "500 strong") Cohorts of 480 men + officers. they were generally equipped in a similar manner to the legionnaires they fought alongside - armed with gladii, and javelins (and sometimes spears), and armoured in chainmail (lorica hamata) or scale mail (lorica squamata), with a good bronze/iron helmet, and cagliae (military hobnailed sandals). they typically carried large, oval shields for protection, though several cohorts were "Scutata" - that is, they carried the rectangular legionary scutum, instead of the normal oval shield carried by most auxiliary infantry. specialised units, such as Syrian or Cretan archers, or Belearic Slingers, obviously had different equipment.. Later, under Vespasian, a number of auxiliary cohorts were enlarged, and several new large cohorts were recruited - these were known as "milliaria" - "thousand strong" cohorts, even though they actually were actually 800 men strong, plus officers.

Cavalry were standardised in a similar fashion: they were organised into "wings" (an "ala", plural "alae"), of either the 512 men strong (plus officers) "quingenaria" type, or the 768 men (plus officers) "milliaria" type.
most were again armoured in chain mail, or scale, and were equipped with a Spatha - in effect, a longer gladius, as well as a spear and/or javelins. Typically, they carried large oval shields as well, though some elite cavalry units, such as the Praetorian Guard's Cavalry, and elite Pannonian and Germanic Cavalry carried elongated hexagonal shields. several specialist cavalry units existed, such as units of Sarmatians, which were sent to reinforce the garrison of Britannia, and Roman Cataphracts, first created by the emperor Hadrian, in response to heavily armoured Parthian Cataphracts. there were also Horse archers from Rome's client states in the east, such as Palmyra and Nabataea. these units, evidently, had different equipment to that of the usual fare of auxiliary cavalry.

there were also the "cohors equitatae" - the "part-mounted cohorts". These were effectively an infantry cohort with attached cavalry support - they were either:
"quingenaria" ("500 men strong"), consisting of a regular 480-man strong quingenaria auxiliary infantry cohort, with 120 cavalrymen attached, bringing the actual strength of the units to 600 fighting men, plus officers.
OR
"milliaria" ("1000 men strong"), consisting of a regular 800-man strong milliaria auxiliary infantry cohort, with 240 cavalrymen attached bringing the actual strength of the unit to 1040 men, fighting men plus officers.


generally, auxiliary equipment throughout the empire was standardised, though shields were often highly decorated, and varied from cohort to cohort, just as they did within the legions. the equipment was all of a comparable standard, though the Cohors Equitatae did seem to get the short straw in terms of pay and equipment, they were still praised by Emperor Hadrian on his visit to Africa, on their valour and skill at the exercises that the provincial garrison were demonstrating for him. though there would have been some local minor variations in equipment though, they were all fairly standardised, as the Roman state equipped these men, so they recieved mass-produced equipment.

[century x]

Well said rory. The idea of a standarized army is what attracts me to Rome so much. Especially in what you just said in the standarizing of the Auxilia units. They weren't just a rag tag bunch of men put together at the last second for a battle. They were well equipped for anything and well trained. They had to
Rome throughout its history was always in some state of war. Except for the pax Roma(think thats what it's was called). Little rusty with my history.

[Blackshamrock.]

Lol.

[jackwei]

Is there a system against the Parthians for an example:- They have alot horse archers and cataphtracts whatever u call them.

I would have One General, 8 Auxilia Infantry, 6 Archers and 5 Cavalry units after all you cannot really use your Roman Legionaries against the Parthians on the field since they'd get slaughtered by the Horse Archers and be attacked at the sametime, by their cavalry and can be costly so i only use my Legionaries for Sieges when facing Parthia, which will save many of my men.

Would this be a suitable strategy??

[century x]

Yes when fighting Parthia you must use your Legionaries as the main assault. They have way better armor and can form testudo which can deflect many a arrow.

[The10thLegion]

Also more calvary in your legion helps

[rory o'kane]

well, Pax Romana more refers to the peace in the interior provinces of the empire, and more specifically, Italy itself - the Rhine frontier, and especially, the Danube frontier were under a lot of pressure for the majority of the Principate, Boudicca rebelled, Scotland was invaded (but not conquered), the Batavians revolted, the Varus disaster occured, there were sarmatian raids and the marcomannic wars, and Trajan's wars of conquest in Dacia and Mesopotamia, and there were always rumblings of discontent in Judea, but the era of Pax Romana is sort of defined as the beginning of the reign of Augustus to Commodus' assasination (the Year of the Four Emperors is somewhat overlooked, but most of the empire wasn't actually affected by it, and stability quickly returned once Vespasian regained the throne, so it's pretty understandable).

The difference with Pax Romana was, that the interior provinces weren't really disturbed because Rome had the manpower to tackle any problems that came up - usually because it was fortunate enough not to have a powerful rival on any frontier (except for the East, in the form of the Parthians and later the Sassanids), untill the 3rd Century A.D, when there were plenty of civil wars going on, not to mention external threats.

[century x]

Speaking of the parthians. I have to put up the best tactics on how to beat them.

Rory. I can talk about the roman empire all day and night 365 days a year. But in my personal opinion. I didn't like the fact that the republic turned into an empire. Both the republic goverment and empire were corrupt to a point that it was disgusting but that said. I believe the Romans would have survived a little longer if they stayed a Republic. But hey thats my opinion.

[rory o'kane]

hmm... with the proffesionalisation of the legions (which i believe was ESSENTIAL to the survival of the empire), it was almost inevitable - i simply think that Marcus Aurelius made the mistake of appointing his son Commodus as his heir (instead of doing what the last 4 emperors did and choosing their successor on their merits), is what doomed the Empire to extinction. That, and Augustus not attempting to reclaim Germania Magna after Teutoburger Wald. Or, the Optimates assassinating Caesar.

[century x]

But thats my point. Marcus Aurelius with his son Commodus(who was a moron by the way). Just kept creating more and more unstability in the empire. Out of all the emperors of the empire. There is probaly a hand full of them that were actually good leaders and actually made the empire better. But the rest just drove it more and more to the ground. I mean yes it was a different time. And power corrupts but man there were alot of badddddddddddddddddd emperors. And that didn't help one bit.

[rory o'kane]

i know that, but you have to admit the system in itself wasn't bad - lets be honest, the period from the ascension of Nerva to the throne to Commodus' ascension was a period of unparalleled growth in the Empire - it's not the system that was bad in itself, just from commodus onwards (almost without exception), you had the wrong man at the top!

[century x]

IT was sad. Very sad.
Good discussion Rory. I love these kind of conversations.

[HMonk]

Thanks guys, I learned a few things.

[Blackshamrock.]

Thanks guys, I learned a few things.

As I have too thanks guys.

[century x]

Since this is my thread. I want you guys to ask as many questions as you want. Of course relating to Roman history and the subject of this thread.

I will try to answer you to the best of my ability. Or someone else like Rory can fill in.

[Blackshamrock.]

I'm just wondering when the first proper legion came about i no the army was sandiest after Marius but just wondering that's all.

[rory o'kane]

well, define "proper legion"? marius was the first man to remove the whole "3 different ranks of heavy infantry" thing that was going on, though the hastati and principes had long since become more or less the same thing... he equipped all the legionaries much as Principes were in the earlier republican army.

[Oli]

he equipped all the legionaries much as Principes were in the earlier republican army.

Were these the "VE legions" in RS?

[rory o'kane]

correct! or at least, they represent the trend!