Creating a Roman Century circa 150AD - how?

[Martin Milner]

OK, I've got loads of books on the subject but I'm still not entirely clear (i.e. I can't be bothered to read and assimilate them all), and I know in Timotheos and Justindo we have at least two people working on creating a Roman Army Unit.

So I want (as a start) to create a century - 80 men shouldn't be too many to put on my tabletop, and should look pretty impressive. I've got nearly 40 legoinnaires already, and probably more officer types than I need.

Then assume I'm creating the necessary command structure for a full Legion ('cos I can cheat and use the same century many times), how many of what?

Can you guys show me in simple Martin-is-a-lazy-doofus terms, exactly how many of each figure I should assemble, equip, and what rank/position each one represents?

e.g. Century:

80x 30 00 2682 legionary - silver helmet, pilum, shield, gladius
3x 30 00 2692 standard bearers, iron helmet with bear/wolfskin, round shield, standard, gladius
1x 30 00 2702 Optio -  silver helm with tranverse white crest, oval shield, pilum & gladius
1x 30 00 2702 Centurion - silver helm with tranverse red crest, oval shield, pilum & gladius

how many archers? other troop types? Or do they not fit in a regular Century?

Extra Legion Staff

1x 30 00 2722 Tribune - Gold helmet, red front to back crest, gold gladius
6x 30 00 2722 Tribune - Gold helmet, white front to back crest, silver gladius
1x 30 00 2712 mounted messanger, silver helmet, gladius, oval shield

etc.

[Martin Milner]

OK, I found in the "Imperial Roman Legionary AD 161-284" by Rosss Cowan the sort of structure I'm looking for.

1 Century =

80 legionnaries (divided into ten groups of 8 who share a tent)
1 Centurion (duh)
1 Optio (2nd in command)
1 Tesserarius (aids the Optio)
1 Signifer (carries the standard)
1 Cornicen or Bucinator (relays commans from the general to the century)

1 Cohort = 6 Centuries except Cohort 1 which contained 5 centuries of double strength

1 Legion = 9 regular cohorts + the double strength cohort

The Legion commanded by:
1 Legate
6 Tribunes

Also attached to a legion:

120 cavalry
other auxiliary units (e.g. archers)

I think that's about it.

[Rasputin]

Oh is that all you need

1 legion =930 + 7 commanders + 120 + lets just say 100 archers

So martin as soon as you put together the 1157 klickies and get them all to stand i would love to see pictures .

[Martin Milner]

Oh is that all you need

1 legion =930 + 7 commanders + 120 + lets just say 100 archers

So martin as soon as you put together the 1157 klickies and get them all to stand i would love to see pictures .

No, a Legion is nearer 5-6,000 men all told - you missed a step. 

1 Legion = 10 Cohorts + auxiliary units
1 Cohort = 6 Centuries


Which is a whole Legion is well beyond my means (at £2 a klicky in the UK usually), but a representative Century of 85 men, plus the command structure of a Legion, plus some auxiliary units (say 20 cavalry, 20 archers, some siege engineers) is financially possible - and will fit on my display table.

[socrates]

Well, there is already a Playmo-Legion on its way through Germany....

http://www.klickywelt.de/viewtopic.php?t=27268
http://www.museen-aalen.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=53844&_bereich=1599#

It about 5.500 strong. thats a table-top to really impress the neighbors... 

best,
socrates

[mike1003]

yeah.. i seen that picture too .. weeks ago and that kind of stuff b to playmobil at all.. after nearly 20 years without!

but i wont do those thigs as i cant afford and i dont have place for it.. but those stuff would be amazing for a convention!

lol

[Justindo]

OK, I found in the "Imperial Roman Legionary AD 161-284" by Rosss Cowan the sort of structure I'm looking for.

1 Century =

80 legionnaries (divided into ten groups of 8 who share a tent)
1 Centurion (duh)
1 Optio (2nd in command)
1 Tesserarius (aids the Optio)
1 Signifer (carries the standard)
1 Cornicen or Bucinator (relays commans from the general to the century)

1 Cohort = 6 Centuries except Cohort 1 which contained 5 centuries of double strength

1 Legion = 9 regular cohorts + the double strength cohort

The Legion commanded by:
1 Legate
6 Tribunes

Also attached to a legion:

120 cavalry
other auxiliary units (e.g. archers)

I think that's about it.

I'm always glad to see more Roman talk on the forums!

You're right on with your legion numbers, Martin!

Auxiliary units were technically independent of the legions.  Their primary role was to perform guard duty on the Roman frontiers, however when a legion or legions went on a large campaign the auxiliary units would usually accompany them, as they provided the troop types (e.g. cavalry, archers, and light infantry) that the legion lacked.  (The 120 cavalrymen in each legion were used more for light scouting and messenger duties than for combat.)  The largest auxiliary unit group was the cohort, which was commanded by a Prefect, who was similar to a Legionary Tribune and was a Roman citizen of Equestrian (upper middle class to upper class) status.  (The Romans didn't want these predominantly native, non-citizen auxiliary troops to be in groups too large just in case they rebelled against Rome.  That said, emperors ran, and often faced, the very same risk with their citizen legions!)  Infantry and archer cohort structure mimicked their legionary counterparts, however cavalry cohort structure was different.

Each cavalry cohort consisted of 16 turmae with 30 men in each turma.  Each turma was commanded by a decurio (sort of like a centurion) and a duplicarius (sort of like an optio).  There would also be a signifier carrying a dragon standard and a cornicen in each turma.  (As with centuries, it's unclear if, other than the centurion/decurio, the officers from each turma were in addition to or included in the 30 number).  In addition to infantry, archer, and cavalry cohorts of normal size (480 plus officers), there were also larger cohorts fielded by the Romans, although these were somewhat rare, and also mixed infantry and cavalry cohorts, which were actually very common.

It is, however, important to emphasize that all these numbers are simply paper numbers.  In reality, a legion or cohort could easily be at half its paper strength due to deaths without replenishment, illnesses, or men performing other duties.

Instead of replicating legions, cohorts, centuries, or turmae, including their multitude of officers, to the exact number, I've elected to form representative units with my Playmobil Romans.  For example, my infantry "centuries" include 20 men plus a centurion, signifier, and cornicen.  My cavalry "turmae" include 10 men plus a decurio and a signifier.  I have one legionary "cohort" (6 legionary "centuries"), one Praetorian "cohort (6 Praetorian "centuries"), and one mixed auxiliary "cohort" (2 light infantry centuries, 2 Hamain archer centuries, and 2 cavalry turmae).  Although this type of force (three cohorts with five different troop types) would probably never have been fielded, it is representative of the type of large force that would be fielded for an invasion and it gives a a nice cross-section of Playmobil troop types.

Playmobil has produced far too many officer types in proportion to the men, but that's okay, as I've found a use for all of them.

Below are descriptions of my officers.  Here's a link to see the figures I'm referring to: http://playmodb.org/cgi-bin/klicky_theme.pl?theme=Romans

Figure 2672 is my Emperor on campaign.  He has a purple cape, a gold gladius, a gold helmet with a white crest, and he rides on a white horse with gold barding.

Figures 2852 (I have two of them) are members of the Emperor's military staff.  Both have white crests, gold gladiae, black capes and their horses have gold barding.  One has a black helmet and rides a black horse while the other has a gold helmet and rides a white horse.

Figure 2722 is my Legate.  He has a gold helmet with a white crest, a red cape, a gold gladius, and he rides on a white horse with red barding.

Figure 2732 is my Praetorian Prefect.  He has a gold helmet with a white crest, a gold gladius, a light blue cape, and he rides on a white horse with light blue barding.

Figures 2862 (I have two of them) are my Tribunes.  Both have red crests and silver gladiae.  One has a black cape with a silver helmet and rides a black horse with silver barding.  The other has a red cape with a black helmet and rides a dark grey horse with red barding.

Figure 2892 is my Auxiliary Cohort Prefect.  He has a silver helmet with a red crest, a silver gladius, and he rides a tan horse with red barding.

I hope to post pictures of all my Romans within the month!

[Timotheos]

Well, there is already a Playmo-Legion on its way through Germany....

http://www.klickywelt.de/viewtopic.php?t=27268
http://www.museen-aalen.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=53844&_bereich=1599#

It about 5.500 strong. thats a table-top to really impress the neighbors... 

best,
socrates

EDIT: looks like Justin and I posted simultaneously...  chronologically, I'd meant for him to go second after correcting my mistakes!
=======================
That legion is conceptually impressive, especially considering it came before Playmobil produced the enhanced full theme.

But the legion suffers some problems--the average soldier in an imperial legion didn't wear crested helms.  Later that army is presented on the march with donkeys following each century.  baggage was clustered toward the center rear of the army with legions in front and behind.

To Martin:

If you haven't yet, I'd recommend picking a target period for your army (it sounds like you have chosen late 2nd century, a pretty good time--Justin has argued that PM has the look of that period.

As for paper strengths--you don't have to honor that.  Cavalry, for example, frequently rode out understrength, including, in rare cases, men riding mules (roman horses were smaller then, and mules could keep trot with horses, just not gallop as fast).

Unfortunately, I don't have any figures for auxiliary compared to citizens.  Your horse estimate sounds good.  Foot auxiliary must have outnumbered foot legionnaires.  But whether a legion had a quota of archers or slingers or spearmen or light skirmishers I don't know.  Something nobody here has really modeled are Balearic slingers.  They could basically be the shepherd from the nativity scene wearing a baby-sling filled with stones.

There was also an auxiliary unit called the equitata.  Horsemen and infantry mixed.  These were probably ethnicly germans or gauls (they trained to run with trotting cavalry).  Scholars have trouble figuring out whether Camp X was a pure cavalry unit or an equitata unit. 

Don't forget the artillery.  According to Graham Webster's "The Roman Army", each cohort traveled with one artillery piece hauled by wagon (10 per legion).  Whether he means an onager or a scorpion I don't know.  Probably a scorpion and its ammunition.

Also there were different shades of cavalry.  Light scouts (spear and javelins, avoided melee).  And heavy cavalry (they charged into the fray with lances (spears)).  Cataphractii entered the army later, but probably past the time of Playmobil's representation, when Rome was investing more in cavalry than infantry.   

But to give you a generic legion:
80 legionairres with one (or two) javelins each
1 centurion (carried a vine staff for discipline)[equated to a sergeant major but I'd say company commander]

1 optio (carried a long staff for swatting laggers; I've seen him in forward plume with feather on each side)
1 standard bearer (who also managed treasury and soldier accounts)
1 tessarius (training officer -- don't know what he looked like)

I don't know whether each century had a cornicern but it makes sense.  centuries continued to administratively fall into maniples (two century unit) but they didn't fight as maniples.  in equitata units, the maniple = one century of infantry and one of cavalry).  The optio, signifier, and tessarius were immunes--sort of like sergeants.

Each tent group had I think a wagon for their tent and one donkey.  The centurion had at least one horse, maybe three and his own donkey.

Cavalry lance (correct?) the smallest cavalry unit
30 men
1 decurion (centurion)--his helmet differed from regular centurion; use your ingenuity)
1 secundum (2nd in command)
1 tertium  (3rd in command)

I don't know whether secundum or tertium also doubled as standard bearer / musician.  It seems that one of them would, since signifiers had special privileges and rank.

As for rehorsings--
Decurion had three horses, secundum two horses, and I think the tertium also had a spare.
The regular men apparently rode with no change of horses, and this is one reason maybe why the cavalry units often ran short.  Augustus Caesar purported fielded a 500 man strong unit of cavlary that had no horses! and fought as infantry.

Cavalry were administered differently than infantry. But my memory is fuzzy.  Ala ("wing") was the largest division.  What the 120 men unit (four companies) was called, I can't remember.

Maybe Justin will weigh in and clarify some of my mistakes.  There's a great cavalry source book out there but I don't feel like digging the book out of the basement....
-Tim 

[Timotheos]

PS.  No comment as to why both Justin and I are monitoring the forum on a Friday night.

Granted, I'm not completely convinced of the moral superiority of randomly going somewhere just for the sake of saying one did something Friday night.

[Justindo]

EDIT: looks like Justin and I posted simultaneously...  chronologically, I'd meant for him to go second after correcting my mistakes!
If you haven't yet, I'd recommend picking a target period for your army (it sounds like you have chosen late 2nd century, a pretty good time--Justin has argued that PM has the look of that period.

As for paper strengths--you don't have to honor that.  Cavalry, for example, frequently rode out understrength, including, in rare cases, men riding mules (roman horses were smaller then, and mules could keep trot with horses, just not gallop as fast).

Unfortunately, I don't have any figures for auxiliary compared to citizens.  Your horse estimate sounds good.  Foot auxiliary must have outnumbered foot legionnaires.  But whether a legion had a quota of archers or slingers or spearmen or light skirmishers I don't know.  Something nobody here has really modeled are Balearic slingers.  They could basically be the shepherd from the nativity scene wearing a baby-sling filled with stones.

There was also an auxiliary unit called the equitata.  Horsemen and infantry mixed.  These were probably ethnicly germans or gauls (they trained to run with trotting cavalry).  Scholars have trouble figuring out whether Camp X was a pure cavalry unit or an equitata unit. 

Don't forget the artillery.  According to Graham Webster's "The Roman Army", each cohort traveled with one artillery piece hauled by wagon (10 per legion).  Whether he means an onager or a scorpion I don't know.  Probably a scorpion and its ammunition.

Also there were different shades of cavalry.  Light scouts (spear and javelins, avoided melee).  And heavy cavalry (they charged into the fray with lances (spears)).  Cataphractii entered the army later, but probably past the time of Playmobil's representation, when Rome was investing more in cavalry than infantry.   

But to give you a generic legion:
80 legionairres with one (or two) javelins each
1 centurion (carried a vine staff for discipline)[equated to a sergeant major but I'd say company commander]

1 optio (carried a long staff for swatting laggers; I've seen him in forward plume with feather on each side)
1 standard bearer (who also managed treasury and soldier accounts)
1 tessarius (training officer -- don't know what he looked like)

I don't know whether each century had a cornicern but it makes sense.  centuries continued to administratively fall into maniples (two century unit) but they didn't fight as maniples.  in equitata units, the maniple = one century of infantry and one of cavalry).  The optio, signifier, and tessarius were immunes--sort of like sergeants.

Each tent group had I think a wagon for their tent and one donkey.  The centurion had at least one horse, maybe three and his own donkey.

Cavalry lance (correct?) the smallest cavalry unit
30 men
1 decurion (centurion)--his helmet differed from regular centurion; use your ingenuity)
1 secundum (2nd in command)
1 tertium  (3rd in command)

I don't know whether secundum or tertium also doubled as standard bearer / musician.  It seems that one of them would, since signifiers had special privileges and rank.

As for rehorsings--
Decurion had three horses, secundum two horses, and I think the tertium also had a spare.
The regular men apparently rode with no change of horses, and this is one reason maybe why the cavalry units often ran short.  Augustus Caesar purported fielded a 500 man strong unit of cavlary that had no horses! and fought as infantry.

Cavalry were administered differently than infantry. But my memory is fuzzy.  Ala ("wing") was the largest division.  What the 120 men unit (four companies) was called, I can't remember.

Maybe Justin will weigh in and clarify some of my mistakes.  There's a great cavalry source book out there but I don't feel like digging the book out of the basement....
-Tim 

Sorry for posting first, Tim!  Had I known you were simultaneously posting, I would have waited.

In my opinion, the Playmobil Romans, taken as a whole, are distinctly AD Romans who could be from the early to mid 1st to early to mid 3rd century (i.e. the height of the empire), so 150 AD sounds just about perfect.

Regarding the slingers that Tim mentions, while they were very popular in Republican times, just like velites, they began to have a diminished role prior to Caesar and were virtually nonexistent during Imperial times.  Archers were far more effective and as Rome conquered more and more peoples, and archers could swell the auxiliary ranks.

While mixed (horse and foot) auxiliary cohorts were very common, I did not know that the infantry were required to run along with the cavalry.  That's very interesting, Tim.

I'd forgotten to address artillery, but Tim has done a great job of that.  Each century was responsible for a light and fairly portable Scorpion (the bolt throwers that Playmobil has in some of the Roman sets).  Two men from each century manned it.  Each cohort would have a much larger catapult (a large version of the Scorpion that would throw a large bolt or round stone) and would assign one man from each century to man it for a total of six.  The catapult would travel in pieces in a wagon.  (The Scorpion traveled in pieces also, probably by wagon too, but possibly by mule.)  I use the Playmobil onager, however, in place of the catapult, as a Playmobil catapult is not available.  Onagers did exist, but they were more on the legionary rather than the cohort level.  They were used mostly in sieges and weren't as portable or common as the catapult until later in the Empire.

As Tim mentions, there were different types of Roman cavalry, and the type usually depended upon the ethnicity of the unit.  All my Playmobil cavalry are of the heavy Gallic/German/Thracian type, however Tim has created some great Numidian (light) cavalry.  (See his post on Hadrian's column in the Custom section.)