skutatoi in the last roman

[lufc2806]

is it even historically accurate to have skutatoi in the last roman campaign? And if so how were they organized?

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Not really, the Skoutatoi wouldn't come about truly until at least the early 7th century.

[Darios]

Yeah, the Roman Empire remained run by Latin speaking emperors/generals from the Danubian provinces until the region was lost to the Slavs during the 7th century. After then emperors began hailing from more Greek speaking regions like Anatolia and the empire evolved along those lines.

Skoutatoi in TLR is CA's attempt to show that the Roman army had changed over the past century. They did a decent job, but yeah the units should have Latin names, and the roster is missing Slavic Feoderati units.

[AnthoniusII]

Scutatos/Scutatus/gr: σκουτάτος
The term is half latin (scutus) and follows the hellenic/hellenistic form (like hoplite) of how to describe a warrior.
The hellenised latin terms start to apear after Emperor Maurice. But actually it was Heraclius that finished the "re-romanisation" of the Roman Army.
It may hear bizzare that greek language (hellenistic greek) was the tool that allowed the Roman Empire to re-establish actuall Roman Army.
We have explain that issue many times before but now what we need to know.
The Roman Armies were primarily formed by German origin warriors -exept some examples-...
Emperor Maurice attempted to re-establish a Roman Army similar to the Repablican Era (citizen-soldiers).
Emperor Heraclius came to a dead end though when he realised that Roman citizens did not understand neither Latin or German orders of their officers!
He notticed that all his soldiers -proffesional or not- no matter of their ethnic origin , knew the language of the trade (hellenistic Greek). So from that point latised-greek language would be the Army's and State's official one to allow ALL citizens and soldiers understand the Laws and the military orders.
Scutatoi were the "result" of Maurice's and Heraclius army reforms.
As "line" infantry they had 3m kontarion instead of the 2m lance. So "scutati/scutatoi" did not exist in Belisarius troops.
Remember that often he ordered horsemen to dismount inorder to re-inforce his line foot troops.
The same tactic did Narses too.

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Well by the 6th century Romeika Greek was beginning to dominate over Latin, so Greek names wouldn't be too bad. Also, the Slavs you have to go another 2-3 decades after the beginning of Belisarius' campaigns before they come in contact with the Roman borders and stuff.

[Darios]

Also, the Slavs you have to go another 2-3 decades after the beginning of Belisarius' campaigns before they come in contact with the Roman borders and stuff.

Norwich wrote that in AD 537 that Constantinople sent 1,600 Hunnic and Slavic foederati to help the Romans defend Rome from a Gothic siege.

The Antes were Roman foederati as early as AD 545. I somewhat suspect that the Roman Expedition will receive a Slavic foederati unit in TLR should CA ever release a Slavic Cultural Pack.