Utente:Cristiano64/Esercito romano: differenze tra le versioni
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Riga 11:
== Army structure ==
=== Legionary infantry ===
==== Tactics (da inserire in '''Schieramento e combattimento''') ====
For set-piece battles, in contrast the single massed line of the [[Early Roman army]] phalanx, the heavy infantry were usually drawn up in three lines (''triplex acies''). However, the vast majority of the heavy infantry (2,400 out of 3,000) were stationed in the front two lines, the ''hastati'' and ''principes''. These lines contained were the younger recruits who were expected to do all the fighting. The rear line (''triarii''), was a reserve consisting of 600 older men who formed a line of last resort to provide cover for the front lines if they were put to flight (and also to prevent unauthorised retreat by the front ranks). It is thus more accurate to describe the Roman battle-line as a double-line (''duplex acies'') with a small third line of reserve. It is this double line that constituted the most significant change from the previous single-line phalanx. The three lines of maniples were drawn up in a [[chessboard]] pattern (dubbed ''quincunx'' by modern historians, after the Latin for the "5" on a dice-cube, whose dots are so arranged).<ref>fields (2007) 42</ref> In front of the heavy infantry, would be stationed the legion's 1,200 ''velites''. It appears that the ''velites'' were not members of the maniples. But for the purposes of battle, they were divided into 10 companies of 120 men, each under the command of a senior centurion of ''hastati''.<ref name="Polybius VI.24"/>
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