The Game is Broken

[RADO]

With respect to the legionary relieving the line. This was a "manipular phalanx" operation. This organization was still in use in the Second Punic War however, it must be added at once that the cohort was also in use, particularly with allied troops. Livy mentions this many, many times throughout his history. We know for a fact that Scipio used cohort organization on occassion for legionary soldiers as it is specifically mentioned in Livy and in Gellius' Attic Nights. Even Polybius mentions the use of cohorts by Scipio on one occassion.

Perhaps the best secondary source I know of with respect to the organization and use of the legion is Hans Delbruck's Warfare in Antiquity. He elaborates on this in detail. The relieving the line tactic is speculative at best, and I think it was much more of a manipular phalanx rather than what many people commonly think of. It manouvered in maniples, with all the advantage of smaller units with a smaller frontage, thereby affording them faster movement until the "hinges", so to speak, formed up into a battle line, which then it was nothing more than a phalanx.

The legion of Caesar was quite simply ten cohorts of legionary soldiers. The manipular designation was retained only for organizational, not tactical purposes. The smallest unit on the field of battle was the cohort. It moved as a unit from 8 to 10 ranks deep. The legion of this period normally fought in three lines; four cohorts in the front line, and three each in the second and third line. At Pharsalus, Caesar took one cohort from each of six legions to compliment his right flank.

I cannot think of a single source offhand that mentions any Roman tactic or doctrine from Caesar's period that says that there was "relieving the line" tactics in use. Once the second line of cohorts went forward and filled in the gaps between the cohorts in the front line, the legion was a phalanx for all practical purposes. The Roman advantage was in thrusting swords instead of slashing, their use of the shield as an offensive weapon, and of course, the pilum.

- Greg