Unbelievably, more questions

[Vibius Tiberius Costa]

If you could give me the same feedback you have my other two topics I would be very happy and much obliged. If it metters i'm still asking particuarly about 2nd century bc although other eras are also fine by me

 

Here goes:

 

Did the legions sing and dance? (like the spartans, in fact spartans brought instruments on some campaigns)

 

Was the plume/crest in some helms gelled like that or something (is it horsehair as well)?

 

Did a legion also have to provide policing services?

 

Was a legion split up amongst a province?

 

How much protection did a rider and more importantly did the horse get, was the saddle similar to todays?

 

How high could a young legionary be promoted? odd question but necessary, lets say he starts right at the bottom.

 

Did legionaries carry whetstones or did they rely on a legion smithy?

 

By what name were you referred to in the legion, d'y'know what i mean (more of a nephele kinda question)?

 

Did legions have their own portable altars or shrines or praying devices?

 

Were there archers? If so were they levied from the surounds when the need arose or were they a permanent part of the army?

 

That's enough for today

 

vtc

[Klingan]

By what name were you referred to in the legion, d'y'know what i mean (more of a nephele kinda question)?

 

I don't know how they referred to each other but all recruits, wherever they came from were given a roman name.

[Pertinax]

VTC if you look here , I have cropped a shot of an auxilliary saddling his horse:

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?automo...si&img=1885

If you then scroll back through this album you will be able to see various horsemen. Best to say that the riders seat is rather lower than we would consider normal today , but a skilled man can control a horse quite easily by leg and thigh pressure and the seat is safe and firm.

If you log onto my msn space and find the "LEG VIII AVG and Deva Victrix " gallery ,scroll to image 14 -a portable altar.Image 46 shows a late era cavalryman using a kontos double handed btw , so that gives an idea about saddle stability.

[DecimusCaesar]

Was a legion split up amongst a province?

 

The Legion was usually stationed at a Fort, while auxillaries were stationed in several areas. The Legion acted as a mobile army, moving from its base to certain trouble areas. For instance in Britain you had various Legions stationed at bases such as the XX at Chester, IX at York and the II at Caerleon. Hadrian's Wall on the other hand would have been patrolled by auxillaries.

[caldrail]

If you could give me the same feedback you have my other two topics I would be very happy and much obliged.

I should start quoting a fee for this

 

Did the legions sing and dance? (like the spartans, in fact spartans brought instruments on some campaigns)

Possibly. I doubt most legionaries were the sort of people who danced though. A hearty sing song would meet the centurions approval far more.

 

Was the plume/crest in some helms gelled like that or something (is it horsehair as well)?

Horsehair - ostrich feathers - anything appropriate was used. No, it wasn't gelled (gel wasn't invented then but I suppose there was stuff that did the same job) They used feathers or hairs bundled together so it would naturally stand straight, like a paint brush.

 

Did a legion also have to provide policing services?

Yes they did. Soldiers were often put on guard duty at public buildings or put to use quelling disorder when required. There was an incident in Tiberius' reign where a town decided not to allow a centurions corpse to be moved from the marketplace until his relatives had funded gladiatorial fights. Tiberius sent soldiers in from both ends of the town and many people, including the important people of the town, were imprisoned for life.

 

Was a legion split up amongst a province?

No, but detachments did patrol or travel to complete tasks or objectives.

 

How much protection did a rider and more importantly did the horse get, was the saddle similar to todays?

Roman saddles were different to today, with four lumps which the rider sat between to support him without stirrups. Generally the horse was unarmoured apart from clibinarii, or 'oven-men', so called because the heat inside the armour was excessive. Most auxillary cavalry wore chainmail, although some roman riders employed scale armour. Later banded mail was used by cataphractii, and the clibinarii are usually described as the same but with an armoured horse.

 

How high could a young legionary be promoted? odd question but necessary, lets say he starts right at the bottom.

In theory he could get promoted to emperor. One man did exactly that (Macrinus?)

 

Did legionaries carry whetstones or did they rely on a legion smithy?

Both, I'd expect.

 

By what name were you referred to in the legion, d'y'know what i mean (more of a nephele kinda question)?

Your latin name. Soldiers were given roman names regardless of which land they originated from. Of course the centurion usually referred to a soldier as "HEY! YOU!"

 

Did legions have their own portable altars or shrines or praying devices?

Actually I doubt it. As superstitious as roman soldiers were, such items are encumbrances and remember the soldier enough kit anyway. Historically most soldiers dumped superfluous items they thought would be of value to them the moment they had to march any distance, learning that the basic gear was really all they needed and anything else was simply excess weight.

 

Were there archers? If so were they levied from the surounds when the need arose or were they a permanent part of the army?

Roman soldiers were often taught archery but they weren't archers themselves. Roman legions took auxillary archers along with them where available, and these foreign endentured 'mercenaries' were much better at it anyway.

 

That's enough for today

Pleased to be of service....

[Ingsoc]

How high could a young legionary be promoted? odd question but necessary, lets say he starts right at the bottom.

In theory he could get promoted to emperor. One man did exactly that (Macrinus?)

 

I was under the impression that the jobs of Legati and Tribunes was reserved to men of the Senatorial and Equestrian rank and the simply soldiers could be promoted at best to the rank of Centorian.

[Pertinax]

Regarding "portable altars " , Caldrail is on the money as usual . I suggest that if you have the Standard , then you have " a sacred totem" with you, perhaps its reasonable that an HQ unit with mules and slaves to spare could lug a small altar about. However given the number of skilled craftsmen in any Legion and the fact that stone was abundant (in Britain at least) then I dont think it would take too long for devotees of a given cult (Mithras springs readily to mind in this context) to produce an altar suitable to their use in the "field".

[Vibius Tiberius Costa]

Regarding "portable altars " , Caldrail is on the money as usual . I suggest that if you have the Standard , then you have " a sacred totem" with you, perhaps its reasonable that an HQ unit with mules and slaves to spare could lug a small altar about. However given the number of skilled craftsmen in any Legion and the fact that stone was abundant (in Britain at least) then I dont think it would take too long for devotees of a given cult (Mithras springs readily to mind in this context) to produce an altar suitable to their use in the "field".

 

Very good point. It occured to me that they were incredibly superstitious and both the standard and creating an altar are answers, i had a thought did the standard reflect a particular deity or Rome?

 

I looked at the auxillary horseman as well, interesting to see one, I wonder how formidable just a formation would be

 

cheers

 

vtc

 

ps caldrail - i'd say a denarii a question

[Pertinax]

What has impressed me about seeing even a few re-enactment cavalry is the flexibility of these men, individually in terms of weapons use and accuracy (with bow, spear or sword) and collectively in the speed and fluidity of movement. The potential that they must have had to change either the focus of an attack or to help as a diversion. I must emphasise how small and cobby all the mounts are , these small animals can turn on a pin and are happy on tussocky ground .Im well aware of their inability to break open a formation of heavy infantry , but the threat of their movement about the battlefield suggests itself as a considerable psychological advantadge.

[caldrail]

How high could a young legionary be promoted? odd question but necessary, lets say he starts right at the bottom.

In theory he could get promoted to emperor. One man did exactly that (Macrinus?)

 

I was under the impression that the jobs of Legati and Tribunes was reserved to men of the Senatorial and Equestrian rank and the simply soldiers could be promoted at best to the rank of Centorian.

 

As a rule, yes. There were exceptions however, and notice that only one man ever achieved that distinction during the empire.

[caldrail]

A centurion has eighty men under his command. Some are well known to him, either because of rank or long service. Others may not be known. They might be recruits, soldiers who don't attract attention to themselves, or replacements from another source. In many cases, the centurion will point and shout "YOU! SOLDIER!" - what other choice has he? "Ermm... Optio... Who's that soldier over there?... Oh you don't know either eh? Find out for me will you? I want him to stop playing dice and do some work" You see what I mean?

 

Actually your question is valid and I don't know the answer. I'm going to assume until I know better that they adopted something like the modern practice.

[Vibius Tiberius Costa]

A centurion has eighty men under his command. Some are well known to him, either because of rank or long service. Others may not be known. They might be recruits, soldiers who don't attract attention to themselves, or replacements from another source. In many cases, the centurion will point and shout "YOU! SOLDIER!" - what other choice has he? "Ermm... Optio... Who's that soldier over there?... Oh you don't know either eh? Find out for me will you? I want him to stop playing dice and do some work" You see what I mean?

 

Actually your question is valid and I don't know the answer. I'm going to assume until I know better that they adopted something like the modern practice.

 

Thanks, where's Nephele when you need her. =D

 

But if a 'whatever' was to say "soldier" wouldn't a fair few look at him.

 

vtc

[caldrail]

Course they would. But the target of the centurions attention would soon understand his attention is required.

[CiceroD]

Just a hunch but ...

 

They would strive to keep it formal. That means the gens name

 

Also might i remind everyone that there were relavively few praenomens around

 

Yelling "Gaius!" or "Marcus!" would probably produce a similar effect to yelling "Soldier!"

[Vibius Tiberius Costa]

Just a hunch but ...

 

They would strive to keep it formal. That means the gens name

 

Also might i remind everyone that there were relavively few praenomens around

 

Yelling "Gaius!" or "Marcus!" would probably produce a similar effect to yelling "Soldier!"

 

Thanks, that narrows it down to the other two.

 

vtc