h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A87864871 A Roman Legion

This is almost finished, as this is in your area of interest? and if you would be kind enough, your opinion on content and readability, would be very welcome before it enters PR.

If there are any areas that need altering/cutting/or clarifying by re writing.

Pease comment

Hi bob;

Although I have studied military structures, this is not a period that I am familiar with. The Romans never made it this far

First just a few points;

>> When the senate needed an army it conscripted a legion(s) from the property owning classes who were obliged by law to perform military service as required2.

Did they have to serve in person, or just proved men from their estate? What was the length of service? who managed their estate while they were gone?

The structure seems to have changed drasticly in 107 BC. you might want to tell us a bit more about the changes, or downplay the earlier Legions.

You tell us twice about the Oporto and the centurion, you should drop one of them.

Are they really NCOs? what did that mean in Roman times, how did they gain their position - by appointment or election? How did the higher officers gain their positions?

>>Standard bearer often known incorrectly as "The Eagle".

In your section on the standard bearer you refer to the basic standard bearer as 'the Eagle', did you mean to imply that it is often incorrectly used for all standard bearers?


>>Made up of 6 centuries normally the cohort consisted of 480 fighting men. The first cohort was the elite core of the Cohort and was double strength numbering 800 elite men, and another 5 centuries of 160 men.

Wouldn't 2 centuries equal 160 men?

I will add more later, this is interesting.

F S

It will all be sorted thanks for your comments

Hello FS thank you for your interest I think I covered your points comments please.

All sorted and almost finished comments and ideas pleease

Happy New Year

All finished (I hope) put in PR still plenty of time for you to comment

Hello FS. the Roman legion entry is in PR now 4300 words (including links and footnotes) that as small as I can make it the big questions are size and readability, your opinion of the finished article would be very welcome. Thank you

Hi bob;

We have been in the middle of the Holidays, I was out of town all day yesterday, and would have been today except the the weather was

I would drop your entire section 'The Officers of a Century' as this is almost repeated word for word a few paragraphs later in 'The Structure of a Century'

I would like to see a header for 'The Manaple' (which you first say is two Cohorts, and later you say two Centuries, I believe the later is correct)

I will place the rest of my comments in the Peer review thread so others can comment.



F S

Thanks thats good input a bit to close to the job to see it clearly

Hello FS the entry is almost complete your opinion would be very welcome