ARMY REORGANIZATION


At the battle of Aquae Sextiae, Marius gave the order to his men, through the
usual chain of command, that they should hurl their javelins as soon as the enemy came
within range, then use their swords and shields to thrust the attackers backwards, down
the treacherous slope. The instructions to discharge javelins and then join battle with
swords and shields is such as we might expect to be given to an army which had adopted
the pilum and the gladius, but the offensive use of shields and the application of pushing
tactics sounds like a reversion to the old fifth and fourth century phalanx as it had been
used both in Greece and Italy. The probability is that the traditional manipular formation
with its three-lined quincunx deployment had generally been superseded. In the course of
the preceding century, Rome had come into conflict with a wide assortment of enemies,
variously equipped and accustomed, and the Romans were nothing if not adaptable. They
were ready to improvise and to adopt such tactics as suited the terrain and were mostly
likely to prove effective against the type of enemy with whom they had to deal in any
particular battle. There were no longer any routine tactics. The maniple which had been
the unit of the old three-line battle front was in the first place a tactical unit. Once it had
ceased to be tactically effective, there was no reason for its retention. Marius recognized
this fact and reorganized his army accordingly.

For purposes of administration a larger until than the maniple was convenient; and in
this, subdivisions were necessary. The legion was consequently divided into ten cohorts,
and every cohort contained six centuries, each commanded by a centurion, who titles,
ranging from that of the exalted primus pilus to hastatus posterior, reflected differences of
position on the battlefield, rank and seniority. Before Marius’ time the cohort, notably as
used by Scipio in Spain (134 BCE), was often a purely tactical formation, employed to
cope with special circumstances. On the other hand, it had originated as an administrative
infantry unit among the Italian allies. Cohorts had been mobilized originally as 500 and
1000 strong respectively. Each had been under the command of a praefectus. As a
legionary unit, the cohort was 500-600 strong. Its division into six centuries meant that
these were each somewhat under 100 strong, larger than the old manipular centuries,
which in practice had sometimes contained as few as 60 men.

Marius abolished the velites, the skirmishers of the ancient Camillan army; and with
them, their characteristic arms of light spear and small buckler (parma) disappeared. The
pilum was now used by all legionaries, and Marius introduced a change in its manufacture.
In place of one of the iron rivets which had secured the head to the shaft, he had a wooden
peg inserted. When the javelin impaled an enemy shield, the peg broke on impact and the
shaft sagged and trailed on the ground, though still attached to the head by the remaining
iron rivet. Not only was the javelin thus rendered unserviceable to enemy hands, but it
encumbered the warrior whose shield it had transfixed. According to Plutarch, this
novelty was introduced in preparation for the battle with the Cimbri at the battle of
Vercellae. At a later date, in Gaius Julius Caesar’s army, as a further refinement, the long
shank of the pilum was made of soft iron, so that it bent even while it penetrated.

Marius was at pains to ensure that every soldier in his army should be fit and
self-reliant. He accustomed his men to long route marches and to frequent moves at the
double. IN addition to their arms and trenching tools, he insisted on them carrying their
own cooking utensils and required that every man should be able to prepare his own
meals. Flavius Josephus, the Jewish historian who wrote in the first century CE, describes
the legionary as carrying a saw, a basket, a bucket, a hatchet, a leather strap, a sickle, a
chain and rations for three days, as well as other equipment. If this was a legacy of
Marius’ reform, it is easy to understand why the men who patiently supported such
burdens were nicknamed “Marius’ Mules”. Of course, campaigning in enemy country of
where there was a danger of sudden attack, the Romans marched lightly equipped and
ready for action at short notice, while the soldiers’ packs (sarcinae) were carried with the
baggage train. Marius is also said to have introduced a quick-release system for the pack.



Taken from:

Warfare in the Classical World by John Warry, pages 134-136