ORGANIZATION OF ROMAN IMPERIAL ARMY
The Legion:
| LEGIO
5,000+ infantry (pedites) 120 cavalry |
||||
| 120 horse | Supply | HQS. | 1 COHORS | COHORS 2-10 |
| (RECON.) | 1 Legatus legionis | MILIARIA | 480 men each | |
| 6 tribuni militum | 960 men | |||
| 1 praefectus castorum | ||||
| plus adm. staff, | ||||
| the eagle (aquila), | ||||
| and medics | ||||
| MANIPULUS
320 men with signum |
MANIPULUS
160 men each with signum | |||
| CENTURIA
160 men and centurion |
CENTURIA
80 men each and centurion |
Auxiliary Units: The two most common units were ala ("wing") of cavalry and cohors (or cohort) of infantry. While officers (called praefecti, "prefects") were Roman citizens, equipment, drill, and organization varied. Special units included cohors equitata (part mounted unit with infantry formation), irregular numeri (barbarians), archers from Syria and Crete, camel units (from Palmyra), heavy cavalry from Germany.
| CAVALRY | INFANTRY |
| ALA (512 men) | COHORS (480 men) |
| 16 TURMAE | 6 CENTURIAE |
| (32 men each) | (80 men each) |
Source: G. Webster, The Roman Imperial Army (London, 1969).