Monday, December 12, 2011

Roman Battle Tactics

It is truly unfortunate that no comprehensive manual on Roman battle tactics survives. We have evidence of a manual written by Sextus Julius Frontinus (governor of Britain 74-78 A.D), but all that remains from that document are fragments and an appendix. Sextus claimed that his manual was the only one written up to his time.

Later, in the fifth century A.D, Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus compiled a manual from several sources which included, by his admission, Cato the Elder, Cornelius Celsus, Paternus, the aforementioned Frontinus, Augustus, Trajan, and Hadrian. Curiously, Caesar was omitted! This work called De Ra Militari or Epidoma Ra Militaris. Indifferently written, it lacks scholarship and represents the views of a person who was neither soldier or historian, but it’s all we have.

Let’s look at Vegetius and see what he has to say.

Order of Battle:


Distances and Intervals:


The three foot space per man has been debated some suggesting it is not enough, six feet being more appropriate.

General advice:

“Men must be sufficiently tried before they are led against the enemy.
Valor is superior to numbers.

The nature of the ground is often of more consequence than courage.


An army is strengthened by labor and enervated by idleness.













Good officers never engage in general actions unless induced by opportunity or obliged by necessity.”

Pretty basic stuff. What do we really learn here?  Not much. We’ll get to a more important discussion in the next post.


marcos toledo said...

Yes it is frustrating we have no Roman At of War like we have with the Chinese. It would answer many questions of how the Romans use their weapons and their tactics on the field of battle.

marcos toledo said...

Sorry I meant to write Art of War instead of At of War