Unit Browser for RTR: Imperium Surrectum

Short description

Every Roman legion had one first cohort, carrying its proud legendary eagle as a rally-point in battle.

Description

Each of these newly reformed legionnaires are well-trained heavy infantry, able to fight head-on against most other infantry units. They are equipped with a short sword (gladius), a heavy wooden shield (scutum), and armed with javelins (pila). In addition, most of these soldiers would wear armour provided by the state, most likely chainmail (lorica) and a helmet. The aquilifer in this unit carries the eagle standard of the legion with him, giving the men a point to rally around in battle.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

The adoption of the eagle (aquila) as the standard symbol of the Roman legion took place under Gaius Marius, creating a symbol for the soldiers towards which their loyalty could be directed. The eagle standard is held under the diligent care of the aquilifer and the chief centurion of this first cohort of the Marian legion. The exact size of the first cohort during Marius’ time has remained a subject of debate. However, sources such as Vegetius and Ps-Hygnius suggest the first cohort was organised into five centuries of hundred and sixty men, giving it a double strength of eight hundred men compared to the other, standard sized cohorts.

The exact origins of the cohort have been subject to much debate among historians. However, most scholars attribute the reforms to Gaius Marius in 104 BC. The cohort was already in use as a tactical unit prior to the Marian reform, mentioned by Polybius as a temporary combined unit of three maniples, each from the lines of Hastati, Principes and the Triarii, respectively. All in all, the pre-Marian cohort would number four hundred and twenty men, arranged in seven centuries. Marius decreased the number of centuries in a cohort from seven to six, but increased the size of the respective centuries from sixty to eighty men, thus increasing the cohort to a size of four hundred and eighty men. Ten of these new cohorts would have made up a legion, abolishing the old manipular formation for good.

Marius’ reform of the Roman legion (that used to be drawn from the respective classes of Roman society) into a semi-professionalised army with equipment furnished directly by the state, largely resulted in the abolishment of differences between the armament used by the soldiers. Now, all of the legionnaires were similarly equipped with a gladius, scutum and pila. This new, larger cohort not only allowed the Roman legionnaires greater tactical depth, but also increased flexibility in engaging different foes in an age of massed melee combat. The cohort would remain the mainstay of Roman military organisation well into the fourth century AD. Military sites of the Late Roman Empire would continue to be organised to house cohort-sized units.