Legio VI Victrix, its commander, auxiliaries and support

[Johnp4000]

I was never keen on the size of warlord's original Roman Legionaries, they looked small compared to all my other figures. Thanks for that photo, they are similar in size to the auxilia, that's great I am going to order some these.

[dadlamassu]

My Roman Legion Project is now nearing completion of the main combat units. Like many projects it will probably never really end as there will always be something to add especially as this a multi-purpose project for historical and fantasy role play, skirmish, battle and campaign games. So from time to time I will be adding characters, civilians, terrain and more.

This unit is mixed foot archer and horse archer unit that served on the Rhine frontier.
The cavalry element of Auxiliary Cohors I Flavia Damascenorum Equitata Eques. The cavalry are vintage Wrgames Factory the foot are Warlord Games.

and the foot element of Auxiliary Cohors I Flavia Damascenorum Equitata Pedes.


This final Auxiliary unit for my collection that served on Antonine's Wall Cohors II Equitata Thracum - another mixed cavalry and infantry unit of the type common on frontiers.  The cavalry are vintage Wrgames Factory the foot are Warlord Games.



and its commanding Prefect (Praefectus) - yes I know he is in archaic Greek armour and will wear it until I can find a more suitable figure ideally both mounted and dismounted.


Finally a couple of Capsarii (medics) for my Auxiliaries

[bluewillow]

Coming along nicely mate

Cheers
Matt

[dadlamassu]

My ongoing (and never ending) Roman collection has expanded with some highter staff officers and an assistant.

Military Tribunes- same figures with head swaps:
Titus Herminius Ravilla, Tribunus rufulus, An officer chosen by the commander usually a young officer of good family often known by or recommeded to the Legate.


Caelus Sornatius Bellicus Tribunus Angusticlavius V:


Ricus Crispius Cerialis: Tribunus vacans, (Just promoted from Centurion to Equestrian rank)


Larius Statilius Calenus (Cornicularius) (Chief Clerk)


Scribonarius (Cornicularius' staff - writing orders on a wax tablet)

[Rick]

Every Tribune would have had at least one ex-Centurion as an assistant or 'junior staff officer' which may well have been the 'evocati' that both Caesar and Pompey are known to have recruited in great numbers.

[dadlamassu]

Thanks for your interest.

My legion (Legio VI Victrix) is set a bit later than those of Caesar and Pompeius being set in the Principate period of 120 AD to 200 AD as virtually all my units are based on the garrisons and builders of the Antonine Wall (a few miles from my home).  There are a few extras to allow games set in Germania, the Claudian invasion and the Iceni Rising.  It was a bit of luck that Warlord Games decided on this one for the incuded shield transfers.  Otherwise I might well have gone for the famous Legio VIIII that may have (or not) disappeared in Caledonia.  (There are also some fantasy elements for other games - Cthulhu Invictus, Broken Legions, Cohors Cthulhu and other fantasy settings).

I take the point about each tribune having his own staff of bodyguards, ex-soldiers, civilians, freedmen and slaves.  Regrettably, I am running out of space for additions.  Much as I would love to represent these I'm afraid there will only be a token representation with (eventually) most being centred on the Legate with the Tribunus Laticlavus probably getting a small bodyguard unit and a couple of staff/slaves.  Each Tribune Angusticlavius may get a bodyguard and groom to hold his horse when dismounted.

I am still working on the siege train of Ballistae, a marching camp, a frontier watch tower etc. 

[Rick]

The Augustinian reforms that standardised the legions as a standing army probably enshrined many of the common practices of the late Republic into them. Certainly evocati are mentioned later than Caesar, as almost the equivalent of a modern warrant officer, sometimes mentioned in context as centurion, sometimes equites - often the same person at roughly the same time. Also the 'broad stripe' tribune would have had more staff than the learners, the 'narrow stripe' tribunes, as he has actual command rank whereas they had next to none.

[dadlamassu]

Certainly evocati are mentioned later than Caesar, as almost the equivalent of a modern warrant officer, sometimes mentioned in context as centurion, sometimes equites - often the same person at roughly the same time. Also the 'broad stripe' tribune would have had more staff than the learners, the 'narrow stripe' tribunes, as he has actual command rank whereas they had next to none.

While this may be correct I have not read this.  Please could you provide your references?

I have references in Caesar, Tacitus and Dio which either state directly or imply that the evocati were soldiers who had finished their engagement and reinlisted.  They were embodied as combat troops, were paid better, allowed to ride on the march with the equites (Caesar mentions taking the horses from them and the Tribunes - Commentarii de Bello Gallico Book VII LXV and giving them to the German cavalry.)
Caesar also refers to "reserves" described in a similar way. 
Tacitus mentions that they were excused all duties except combat.

My understanding is that they were veterans who were re-enlisted (Caesar re-enlisted veterans from Pompeius' defeated legions) or reservists retained to defend against incursions or maybe it just means re-enlisted men. There is an implication that the might been held ready perhaps as a mobile mounted infantry reserve to deal with an emergency?  None of this would prevent the tribunes or anyone else hiring veterans as bodyguards and staff personnel.  I just have not seen a reference to them being on the payroll of the legions. 

Hence my request for your references.

Thanks for sparking some research for me over the winter! The more I think I know the more I realise that actually there is far more I don't know. 

[Rick]

From what I understand, when Caesar and Pompey engaged the veterans as evocati, they were all promised centurion rank even though the total number of centurions for the new legions would have been less than the numbers of evocati that they engaged. This would seem to indicate that they were engaged as more than just cohort centurions and this does seem to be supported by the sparse references to them. That the practice continued into the Imperial era is supported by references to the Evocati Augusti, evocati from the Praetorian guard, although Galba's Evocati may have been a different case entirely.
Just as I wasn't spoonfed this information I do not expect to have to do so for someone else. By all means research this information for yourself but I never respond to the plaintive cries for links or references; the main reason being that I may very well have got hold of bad information and merely following a link would never uncover that - please prove me wrong, we'll both learn more that way.

[dadlamassu]

Thanks, Rick.  A pity you don't share your knowledge base.  It weakens your argument. 

[Rick]

Ah, we may be at cross purposes here. I wasn't putting forward an argument, an hypothesis nor any kind of authorative statement. As I thought I'd made clear, it's merely my personal opinion based on the things I'd read. I thought it might be interesting and, if you thought the same, you could research the keywords and establish the facts to your own satisfaction. Many apologies if I gave you the wrong impression.

[dadlamassu]

Sorry, Rick, I did pick you up incorrectly.
Please accept my apologies.