The Army..size And Proportion

[sullafelix]

Hi

 

I need a little help. I am trying to find out what proportion of eligible men would have been serving in the Roman army at any one time. I really need some idea around second century BC. Do I have to work it out from Census figures myself or does anyone know of someone who has put this down somewhere. Brunt's Italian Manpower doesn't cover it ....alkl suggestions gratefully received.

 

 

Sullafelix

[Jimbow]

I think that's gonna be a tough one, as the size of the army fluctuated with circumstances. There is a UNRV page ( Roman Empire Population ) that puts the census figure for Roman citizens in 70 BC at 910,000. This pdf may be of interest as well: Rome at War. Farms, Families, and Death in the Middle Republic. Bear in mind that between 17% and 40% of the army may have died on campaign (Roman camps had excellent hygiene hence the disparity), which is based on American Civil War estimates through combat, disease, etc, so you would need to factor that in through the century.

 

This page from the same book ( Chapter , Introduction: Agriculture in Italy from Hannibal to Tiberius Gracchus puts the army and navy figure at anywhere below 11% of the freed population in 212 BC. If you can figure out the percentage of actual eligible men (male property owners of some worth) I guess you can get somewhere close to a figure.

 

In fact, it looks like that book may be what you need to read.

 

Cheers,

Jim.

[Pantagathus]

Hi

 

I need a little help. I am trying to find out what proportion of eligible men would have been serving in the Roman army at any one time. I really need some idea around second century BC. Do I have to work it out from Census figures myself or does anyone know of someone who has put this down somewhere. Brunt's Italian Manpower doesn't cover it ....alkl suggestions gratefully received.

 

 

Sullafelix

 

Hmmmm, depending on when in the 2nd Century, I would say you could extract figures from Polybius, Livy (though we loose his guidance during that period) or Appian from the various campaigns going on and back into a figure from there? Campaign armies could have 15,000, 30,000, 50,000+ (not counting auxilaries) so It hard to give a blanket figure.

 

On a complete side note, I've been at festivals with 70,000+ people and when I consider seeing that many people on an ancient battlefield at one time I become rather awed at the thought...

[sullafelix]

Hi

 

I need a little help. I am trying to find out what proportion of eligible men would have been serving in the Roman army at any one time. I really need some idea around second century BC. Do I have to work it out from Census figures myself or does anyone know of someone who has put this down somewhere. Brunt's Italian Manpower doesn't cover it ....alkl suggestions gratefully received.

 

 

Sullafelix

 

Hmmmm, depending on when in the 2nd Century, I would say you could extract figures from Polybius, Livy (though we loose his guidance during that period) or Appian from the various campaigns going on and back into a figure from there? Campaign armies could have 15,000, 30,000, 50,000+ (not counting auxilaries) so It hard to give a blanket figure.

 

On a complete side note, I've been at festivals with 70,000+ people and when I consider seeing that many people on an ancient battlefield at one time I become rather awed at the thought...

 

Cheers for the pointers I will follow them up

 

Sullafelix