The (Unofficial) Great Battles of History
Roman Armies, 365-415
Michael Erwin
10 Nov 01
I suspect I am not the only Great Battles of History player interested in the fall of Rome, or in the long transition between the Roman armies of Caesar: the Civil Wars and Cataphract. Here I present my own view of a late-Roman army in GBoH terms.
A lot of this material is open to debate (not least the strengths of each class of formation); however there is enough information to outline the dominant unit types and the organization of the armies.
Each section contains a number of entries with typical units, and each entry shares the following format:
| Troop Class | # | Type | Rating | |
| Comitatensis | 8 | HI | 5-6-4 J |
Troop Class
The most common designation for soldiers in
this type of unit. The roles of the Lanciarii and
Balistarii are open to dispute. In some cases
(Extraordinarii, Barbariani, Germani,
Gothi, Italiani, and Graeci) descriptions in the
absence of a common designation.
Number
The most units to appear on one battlefield (with the exception of the
Frigidus, where these only apply to the east) during the period; this
is a tentative figure and a few more may take part in some actions.
Type
Unit Type; see the notes and table at the end.
Rating
Size (in 100-120 man increments), Troop Quality, and Movement Allowance.
Missile abilities and any Shock Bonus (see the notes at the end).
The Scholae formed the emperors' personal guards (along with the Comes, who were officially part of the army). They only appear if an emperor is on the map.
| Scholae | 2 | HC | 6-8-8 | + |
| Scholae | 2 | MC | 6-8-8 | + |
| Scholae | 1 | MC | 6-8-8 | C |
| Scholae | 2 | LC | 6-8-8 | C |
Rather than raising new legions to face each new threat, the Roman Empire had always drawn small detachments from its existing legions. At first, these would return to their parent units after the war, but sometime in the third century, they began extended deployments and by the reign of Constantine (307-337), some of these detachments became permant formations.
There were a couple hundred of these units (counting the auxiliaries), many with confusing or unknown designations, and an effort to list them "by name" would be pointless. Instead, I list the most common types, and a brief description of the legions.
| Comites | ||||||
| Comites | 1 | MC | 6-8-8 | + | ||
| Comites | 1 | LC | 6-8-8 | C | ||
| Legiones | ||||||
| Lanciarii | 3 | HI | 5-7-3 | + | Elite Spearmen | |
| Palatini | 8 | HI | 5-7-4 | J | Elite Swordsmen | |
| Comitatenses | 8 | HI | 5-6-4 | J | Veteran Swordsmen | |
| Comitatenses | 8 | HI | 5-5-4 | J | Trained Swordsmen | |
| Mattiarii | 2 | MI | 5-7-5 | J | Javelinists | |
| Balistarii | 2 | MI | 5-6-5 | X | Crossbowmen | |
| Extraordinarii | 4 | MI | 5-6-5 | J | Skirmishers | |
| Barbariani | 4 | MI | 5-6-5 | + | Broadswordsmen | |
| Alpinii | 3 | MI | 5-5-4 | Emergency Blocking Unit | ||
| Vexillationes | ||||||
| Catafractarii | 2 | HC | 5-7-8 | C | ||
| Armigeri | 2 | HC | 5-7-8 | + | ||
| Scutarii | 1 | MC | 5-6-8 | |||
| Promoti | 1 | MC | 5-6-8 | |||
| Sagittarii | 1 | LC | 5-6-9 | C | ||
| Batavi | 1 | MC | 5-6-8 | + | ||
| Brachiati | 1 | MC | 5-6-8 | + | ||
| Dalmatae | 1 | LC | 5-6-9 | J | ||
| Mauri | 1 | LC | 5-6-9 | J | ||
| Saraceni | 1 | LC | 5-6-9 | J | ||
| Auxilarii | ||||||
| Armigeri | 2 | MI | 5-6-4 | + | ||
| Sagitarii | 6 | LI | 5-6-5 | C | ||
| Germani | 4 | MI | 5-6-4 | + | ||
| Gothi | 4 | MI | 5-6-4 | + | ||
| Italiani | 4 | MI | 5-6-4 | |||
| Graeci | 4 | MI | 5-6-4 | |||
| Britones | 4 | MI | 5-6-5 | J | ||
| Galli | 4 | LI | 5-6-5 | + | ||
| Isauri | 3 | LI | 5-6-5 | B | ||
| Mauri | 3 | LI | 5-6-5 | J | ||
The Limitanei (Border Troops) require a few explanations of their own. A typical border province will station an army of two legions and several auxiliary units, under the command of the local Dux and cooperating with the regional Comes.
Regardless of speculation about smaller "Diocletanic" legions or frontier militia, the Limitanei appear to be regular troops organized into full 10-cohort legions. Most of the frontier legions operate from two main camps (each under a prefect's command) of 5 cohorts each, with smaller posts elsewhere in the province.
The individual cohorts, however, have declined in both strength and quality. Recruitment has steadily fallen off since Caesar's day, and the Comitatenses now take the most promising recruits and the most experienced soldiers away from the Limitanei.
These forces continue to police the border, and can still challenge small-scale incursions; in a large-scale invasion, however, the Limitanei will mainly garrison (and stiffen the defense of) threatened towns. Given this role, these units probably retained most or all of their artillery. Shattered and understrength Limitanei sometimes joined the field army (as Pseudocomitatenses) after losing their bases.
For player reference, here are the forces of Moesia Secunda around AD 395:
| Legion Prima Italica | |||||
| Primani | 1 | HI | 4-6-4 | J | |
| Primani | 9 | HI | 3-5-4 | J | |
| Carrobalistae | 1 | EN | 1-5-3 | Heavy Artillery | |
| Carrobalistae | 5 | EN | 1-5-4 | Light Artillery | |
| Legion Undecima Claudia | |||||
| Undecimani | 1 | HI | 4-6-4 | J | |
| Undecimani | 9 | HI | 3-5-4 | J | |
| Carrobalistae | 1 | EN | 1-5-3 | Heavy Artillery | |
| Carrobalistae | 5 | EN | 1-5-4 | Light Artillery | |
| Auxilarii Limitanensis | |||||
| Milites | 8 | LI | 3-5-5 | ||
| Naviges | 2 | LI | 3-4-5 | ||
| Armigeri | 1 | HC | 3-5-8 | ||
| Scutarii | 1 | MC | 3-5-8 | ||
| Dalmatae | 1 | LC | 3-5-9 | J | |
Other types of units will appear in some other provinces. The Asian Limitanei will have plenty of horse archers, and Moorish and Arab light cavalry, and these were not unknown in Europe. The infantry will show even less geographic variation, although by 415 most of the western legions had merged into the auxiliary milites.
So, to represent other provinces, players may wish to add:
| Auxilarii Limitatenses | |||||
| Milites | 8 | MI | 3-5-4 | ||
| Sagitarii | 1 | LC | 3-5-9 | C | |
| Mauri | 1 | LC | 3-5-9 | J | |
| Saraceni | 1 | LC | 3-5-9 | J | |
In general, these lists use the same unit types as in Cataphract, adding only the "Medium Cavalry" and "War Engines". The first represents any unarmored or lightly-armored shield-bearing cavalry; the second includes the Roman artillery and Gothic wagon-ramparts. I have deleted the "Lancers";these are now "Light Cavalry" with a "Shock Bonus" (The Shock Bonus ("+") reflects the initial reach advantage of spear-armed and broadsword-armed troops. Any unit with the Shock Bonus recieves a -1 DRM to its own Pre-Shock TQ Check; any opposing unit (on attack or defense) receives a +1 DRM).
No one unit type had any great or universal advantage in this era, and (due to the widespread use of the shortsword) almost any unit could continue to fight even if the initial charge had broken their formation. Most infantry fought in a "Swine's Head" formation, a type of blunt wedge, which was slightly less effective in a frontal fight but had a far better chance against a flank attack.
Both because of the two new unit types and because I see no reason to apply attack or defense superiority (ignore 8.52), I include a new Clash of Spears and Swords Chart.
| Defender | Attacker Type | |||||||
| Type | Orientation | HC | MC | LC | HI | MI | LI | EN |
| Heavy Cav | Front | 8 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | na |
| HC | Flank | 9 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 8 | na |
| Rear | 10 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 9 | na | |
| Medium Cav | Front | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 7 | na |
| MC | Flank | 10 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 9 | na |
| Rear | 11 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 10 | na | |
| Light Cav | Front | 10 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 8 | na |
| LC | Flank | 10 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 9 | na |
| Rear | 11 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 10 | na | |
| Heavy Inf | Front | 6 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 5 | na |
| HI | Flank | 9 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 8 | na |
| Rear | 11 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 10 | na | |
| Medium Inf | Front | 7 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 6 | na |
| MI | Flank | 9 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 8 | na |
| Rear | 10 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 10 | na | |
| Light Inf | Front | 8 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 7 | na |
| LI | Flank | 9 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 8 | na |
| Rear | 10 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 9 | na | |
| War Engine | Front | 7 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 7 | na |
| EN | Flank | 8 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 8 | na |
| Rear | 8 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 8 | na | |
Ammanius Marcellinus, The Later Roman Empire, (Hamilton Translation-Penguin Books, 1986). A detailed and readible, largely eyewitness, history concluding at the Battle of Adrianople.
Ammanius Marcellinus, Historiae, (whichever edition I could borrow at the time). Very readable in the original.
Delbrük, Hans, The Barbarian Invasions: History of the Art of War, vol. 2, (University of Nevada Press, 1990 reprint). Useful for dispelling number myths- but you knew that, didn't you?
Goscinny and Uderzo, Asterix and the Goths, (Hodder and Stoughten, 1974). Find any excuse to read this. See the notes on Gothic army sizes (p. 27).
Jones, A.H.M., The Later Roman Empire, 284-602, (Basil Blackwell, 1964). A remarkably good history with an even better study of the military organization.
Macdowall, Simon, Adrianople AD 378, (Osprey, 2001). An excellent history of the campaign, though a bit sketchy on the orders of battle. An ideal companion work to a copy of Jones; each is strongest where the other is weakest.
Southern, Pat, and Dixon, Karen R., The Late Roman Army, (Routledge, 1996). Detailed and up-to-date.
Unknown, Notitia Dignitatum, (any edition). The "official" Roman Army Order of Battle. Completely revised in 395 with partial revisions into the 420s. This is only known from a Renaissance transcription, and appears to have lost several entries & misspelled others. Avoid translations; English and Latin military terms don't match well enough to preserve any meaning.