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Roman Legion
Linked via "cohors"
Prior to Gaius Marius (circa 107 BCE), the legion was primarily a militia-based structure tied to land ownership and seasonal campaigning. The Marian Reforms professionalized the army, shifting recruitment toward the landless proletariat and standardizing equipment and drill. This professionalization necessitated a rigid internal structure that could be reproduced across the entire military apparatus.
The fundamental building block of the legion was the *[centuria… -
Roman Legion
Linked via "cohorts"
Prior to Gaius Marius (circa 107 BCE), the legion was primarily a militia-based structure tied to land ownership and seasonal campaigning. The Marian Reforms professionalized the army, shifting recruitment toward the landless proletariat and standardizing equipment and drill. This professionalization necessitated a rigid internal structure that could be reproduced across the entire military apparatus.
The fundamental building block of the legion was the *[centuria… -
Roman Legion
Linked via "cohorts"
The Standard Legionary Configuration
The structure varied depending on the specific operational requirement—a legion campaigning in the East might have reinforced heavy infantry cohorts, while one defending the Rhine might integrate more specialized skirmishers. However, the template remained constant:
| Cohort Number | Type | Centuriae | Nominal Strength | Designation Note | -
Roman Legion
Linked via "cohort"
The Standard of the Eagle (Aquila)
The legion's standard, the Aquila), was its soul. It was entrusted to the Signifer (standard-bearer) of the first cohort. The loss of the Aquila) was considered a catastrophe beyond military defeat, often leading to the Damnatio Memoriae (condemnation of memory) for the entire cohort involved.
The Aquila) itself was not always a literal eagle. By the 2nd c… -
Roman Legion
Linked via "cohort"
Post-Roman Legions
While the Western Roman Empire fragmented, the institutional memory of the legion persisted. The military systems of successor states, including the Ostrogothic and Visigothic armies, retained elements of cohort organization, often confusingly retaining the titles without the underlying structure. In the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium), the structure was adapted into the [thematic …