Roman Legions, 410 AD

[TheSilverKnight]

In my custom made 410 AD (using Professor Spatula's Romano-British & Extra Hordes) campaign...I'm playing as the ERE, and I'd like to know what the most historically accurate way to form my legions are.

Tell me if this is relevant to the period.

I have an army in Thracia (Constantinople) led by the 16 year old Emperor Theodosius II, and here is what it consists of:

1 General (Emperor Theodosius)
1 1st Comitatenses Cohort
9 Comitatenses Cohorts
2 Equites Catafractarii
2 Legio Lanciarii
2 Eastern Archers
2 Plumbatarii
1 Ballistae

Is this alright for a legion circa 410 AD or do I need to change my ways to reflect the oncoming Hun, Gothic, and Persian attacks?

[lars573]

From what I've learned about late Roman armies is that it was divided into 3 parts. The Limitanei, and Comitatensis you know about but the palatina forces are the less official third force. It was the personal army of the Emperors. There was one per Augustus (maybe the Caesar had one I'm not sure). It contained all the palatina forces, the best troops to be had. Also the legion make was very different. Legions were more like modern regiments rather than a division. They were either infantry, cavalry or auxilia. Cavalry and auxilia legions were on average 600 men. While infantry legions would varry from 5000 to 1000. A Limitanei infantry could be as much as 5000, not always but usually. A Comitatensis legion could be anywhere from 1000 to 2000, but 1200 was the average. I use this theory in my army make ups. City garrisons have 6 Limitanei units plus 2 archer units. If it's a fort garrison they get 2 hippo toxotai's.

My Comitatensis army
Asian army
1 General
1 Comitatensis first cohort
7 Comitatensis cohorts
2 eastern archers
2 hippo toxotoi's
4 equites auxilia
2 equites clibinarii
1 priest or siege weapon (usually the priest)

Europa army
1 General
1 Comitatensis first cohort
7 Comitatensis cohorts
2 archers
2 hippo toxotoi's
4 equites auxilia
2 equites cataphractii
1 priest or siege weapon (usually the priest)

My reasons for using the cata's in europe and the clibs in asia are 1.the sassanids (need that AP bonus) and 2. clibs are expensive. I only use eastern archers in asia is becuase they have compound bows that wouldn't last long in the damper european theatre. I use priests because, ahistorical or not, they are very useful. That and in BI your army needs to move and siege machines slow your army movement by 50%. Also for variety in an asian army you can swap the equites auxilia for dromedarii.

My Palatina army
The Augustus or the Caesar
6 Plumbatarii
4 legio lancarii
2 eastern archers
2 hippo toxotois
2 equites auxilia
2 Scholae palatina
1 cart ballistae

I only ever have 2 of these armies. They only march from their forts outside Constantinople and Antioch under the leadership of the emperor or his heir appearant. Now your probably wondering why I have Scholae palatina in this list. Your thinking that the SP's are not as good as cata's or clibs and are more expensive. Well to this I say I'm only ever going to have 4 of them at once, and they are the imperial guards. Where the emperor goes they go. Same with the LL's, they are imperial foot guards from a century earlier. The cart ballistae is there for rapid fire power, plus it looks keen. As a palatina army is supposed to have the best troops it gets the plumbatarii.