Triarii
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Triarii (Singular: Triarius) were a class of infantry in the armies of the early Roman Republic who fought as spearmen. Being the oldest and among the wealthiest men in the legion, they could afford good quality equipment, and were the heaviest infantry in the legion with large shields and metal armour.[1] Their usual position was the third battle line. They fought in a shallow phalanx formation, supported by light troops. In most battles triarii were not used because the lighter troops usually defeated the enemy before the triarii were commited to the battle. They were eventually done away with after the Marian reforms of 107 BC.
History and deployment
Triarii appear to have been remnants of the old first class of the army under the Etruscan kings when it was reformed by Marcus Furius Camillus.[2] The first class was made up of the richest soldiers in the legion who were equipped with spears, breastplates and large shields, like heavy Greek hoplites. They were the heaviest soldiers of the legion, though they were used as in the front line of a very large phalanx rather than as a last reserve at the rear. It is likely that engagements with the Samnites and a crushing defeat at the hands of the Gallic warlord Brennus, who both used lots of smaller units rather than a few very large ones, taught the Romans the importance of flexibility and the inadequacy of the phalanx on the rough, hilly ground of central Italy.[3][4]
Camillan system
In the early Camillan system of organisation of the 3rd and 4th centuries BC, men were sorted into classes based on wealth, the triarii being the richest after the equites.[5] Triarii were armed with short spears, or hastae, up to 1.8 metres (6 feet) in length. As a backup weapons they also carried thrusting swords, or gladii, about 74 centimetres (29 inches) in length. They fought as hoplites, usually carrying clipeuses, large round shields used by the Greeks, and bronze helmets, often with a number of feathers fixed onto the top to increase stature.[5] Many would paint or engrave portraits of ancestors onto the shield, believing that it would bring them luck in battle.[6]
In this type of legion, the 900 triarii formed 15 maniples, military units of 60 men each, which were in turn part of 15 ordi, larger units made up of a maniple of triarii, a maniple of rorarii and a maniple of accensi.[1] The triarii stood in the third line of a legion, behind the front line of hastati and the second line of principes, and in front of the rorarii and accensi.[5] In a pitched battle, the leves, javelin armed light infantry who were attached to maniples of hastati, would form up at the front of the legion and harrass the enemy with javelin fire and cover the advance of the hastati, sword armed medium infantry. If the hastati failed to break the enemy, they would fall back and let the principes, heavier and more experienced infantry armed with spears, take over. If the principes did not break them, they would retire behind the triarii, who would then engage the enemy in turn. Hence the expression rem ad Triarios redisse, "it has come to the triarii", signalling an act of desperation.[5] The equites, cavalrymen, were used as flankers and to pursue routing enemies. The rorarii, unarmoured troops armed with spears, and accensi, the least dependable troops armed with slings, would be used in a support role, providing mass and supporting wavering areas of the line.[6]
Polybian system
In the later Polybian system of the 2nd century BC, infantry were sorted into classes according to age and experience rather than wealth, the triarii being the most experienced.[7] Their equipment and role was very similar to the previous system, except they now carried scuta, large rectangular shields that offered a greater degree of protection than the old round clipeus.[8]
The triarii had been reduced in number to 600 per legion, and formed 10 maniples of 60 men each.[9] The triarii still made up the third line in the legion, behind the front line of hastati and the second line of principes, but the rorarii and accensi had been done away with. Leves had been replaced with velites, who had a similar role but were also attached to principes and triarii.[9] Pitched battles were conducted in a similar fasion: the velites would gather at the front and fling javelins to cover the advance of the hastati. If the hastati failed to break the enemy, they would fall back on the principes, who now carried swords rather than spears. If the principes could not break them they would retire behind the triarii, who would then engage the enemy.[10]
Marian reforms
With the formal military reforms of Gaius Marius in 107 BC, designed to combat a shortage of manpower due to wars against Jugurtha in Africa and Germanic tribes to the north, the different classes of units were done away with entirely.[11] The wealth and age requirements were scrapped. Soldiers would join as a career, rather than as service to the city, and would all be equipped as "miles", or soldiers, with the same, state purchased equipment. Auxiliaries, local irregular troops, would fulfil other roles, serving as archers, skirmishers and cavalry.[12]
See also
References
- ^ a b Southern, Pat (2007). The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History. Oxford university press. p. 90. ISBN 0195328787.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Southern, Pat (2007). The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History. Oxford university press. p. 89. ISBN 0195328787.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ Penrose, Jane (2005). Rome and Her Enemies: An Empire Created and Destroyed by War. Osprey publishing. p. 29. ISBN 1841769320.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Southern, Pat (2007). The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History. Oxford university press. p. 88. ISBN 0195328787.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ a b c d Smith, William (1859). A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. Little, Brown, and Co. p. 495. ISBN 0893411663.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ a b Mommsen, Theodor (1903). The History of Rome, Book II: From the abolition of the monarchy in Rome to the union of Italy. The History of Rome. ISBN 0415149533.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Southern, Pat (2007). The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History. Oxford university press. p. 92. ISBN 0195328787.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Mommsen, Theodor (1903). The History of Rome, Book III: From the union of Italy to the subjugation of Carthage and the Greek states. The History of Rome. ISBN 0415149533.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ a b Smith, William (1859). A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. Little, Brown, and Co. p. 496. ISBN 0893411663.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Penrose, Jane (2005). Rome and Her Enemies: An Empire Created and Destroyed by War. caOsprey publishing. p. 33. ISBN 1841769320.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Southern, Pat (2007). The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History. Oxford university press. p. 94. ISBN 0195328787.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ Smith, William (1859). A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. Little, Brown, and Co. p. 506. ISBN 0893411663.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help)