The structure of the Cedonian Army is in essence that of the Roman Legions from the Early Imperial Period. The smallest unit is the eight-man squad(Roman: contubernium). The men of a squad share a single tent on the march and mess together. They have a pack mule for carrying their tent and for carrying the grindstones used to mill their grain ration. The legionary with the longest time in service in the squad is called the ancient, and is roughly equivalent to a corporal or sergeant. Ten squads form a century of 80 men, commanded by a centurion. There are four junior officers under each centurion: the signifer, who carries the century's standard in the field, and handles the century's paperwork in camp; the optio, who commands the century in the absence of the centurion and is inline to be promoted to ceunturion rank as soon as an opening is available; the tesserarius, who is responsible for posting camp guards and distributes the daily passwords; and the armorer, who maintains the century's weapons and armor. Centurions are something like a modern captain combined with a sergeant-major. Six centuries form a normal cohort. The First Cohort of each Legion, however, consists of five double centuries of twenty squads each. The First Cohort has five centurions; all other cohorts have six centurions. Ten cohorts form a legion of 5,120 men. The senior centurion of the First Cohort has the title of First Spear and commands the First Cohort in battle. The nextmost-senior centurion, the princeps, is in charge of both his century, and the legion's HQ staff. In the other nine cohorts, the senior centurion is titled Second Spear and has the overall command of the cohort. First Spears generally only serve as such for one year, after which they may either take retirement or transfer to another legion that needs experienced centurions. Another possibility is promotion to the rank of prefect. The prefect of a legion is roughly equivalent to a colonel or a brigadier. He commands the legion in battle and in camp and is in charge of arranging for the legion's supplies. Prefects are considered to be centurions, so a legion has a total of sixty centurions. Legions also have an attached squadron of 120 cavalry for scouting and carrying dispatches. The squadron rarely operates as a whole; instead, detachments of cavalry are attached to the centuries in the vanguard. Centurions are long-service officers, almost always serving twenty-five years before retirement. They are promoted up through the ranks, and do not attend the Imperial Military Academy. The only academic requirement for promotion to the centurionate is literacy. Things are different for officers above the rank of prefect. Formations of multiple legions and auxilia are commanded by legates, who are supported by a staff of tribunes. These officers are usually of noble blood, and have usually attended the Imperial Military Academy. A typical career path for an Academy graduate is command of an auxiliary cohort, service as a tribune, service as an officer attached to the Guards cohorts in Thalcedon, ending with promotion to legate and a civil service job upon retirement. Officers above the rank of centurion must purchase their posts from the prior occupant. Legionaries are armed with two javelins and a short stabbing sword which is about 16 inches long for legionaries, and about two feet long for centurions and above. Legionaries carry their swords high on the right side, but officers carry their swords low-slung on the left side. All ranks wear steel lorica segmentata body armor and 'backwards-jockey-cap' helmets made of bronze with an iron liner, and all ranks carry plywood shields bound at the edges with wrought iron or bronze. All ranks have a heavy leather apron to protect the groin, and all ranks wear hobnailed boots. Each cohort of a legion has a heavy siege catapult, or onager, attached to it. A typical onager can hurl a 55-pound rock over an eighth of a mile. Every century of a legion is equipped with a cart-mounted ballista capable of projecting a foot-long bolt over a fifth of a mile. A legion thus has ten siege catapults and 59 ballistae. Currently, Cedonia has five standing legions: one stationed in and around Thalcedon, two at the northern border, one in the Kasovian Mts., and one on the southern border. There are also roughly 5,000 Selarian auxiliaries in service, mostly on the northern border, but with a few squadrons in the south. There is also a small navy whose primary duty is piracy and smuggling suppression in the Gulf of Gomel. The standing Cedonian armed forces have an establishment strength of about 35,000, but are currently somewhat understrength and are trying to rebuild. Andrew ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send mail to celandra-off@phoenyx.net.
Andrew Janssen wrote: The technology of Qaiyore is more advanced than that of early Rome. This would likely create some changes in equipment. > Legionaries are armed with two javelins and a short stabbing sword which > is about 16 inches long for legionaries, and about two feet long for > centurions and above. Legionaries carry their swords high on the right > side, but officers carry their swords low-slung on the left side. Swords will be lighter, and thus can be made longer more cheaply. One length would be standardized for all ranks, probably around 20 inches. Centurions and greater will have better quality blades, and officers may bear heirloom blades of remarkable quality. > All ranks wear steel lorica segmentata body armor and > 'backwards-jockey-cap' helmets made of bronze with an iron liner, There's a great deal of debate about lorica segmentata vs. mail. From what I can tell lorica is a little more protective, _much_ more expensive, heavier, and harder to get into. I'm inclined to think that the Cedonian legions would primarily use chain. Upper ranks would wear a breastplate at the very least and possibly other pieces of plate as well. The helmet would be of iron. Forged instead of cast it would be shaped differently than the helm described. > and all ranks carry plywood > shields bound at the edges with wrought iron or bronze. Iron. Bronze is too expensive. > All ranks have a heavy leather apron to protect the groin, and all > ranks wear hobnailed boots. Mail instead of heavy leather. > Each cohort of a legion has a heavy siege catapult, or onager, attached > to it. A typical onager can hurl a 55-pound rock over an eighth of a > mile. I think you mean, "Each cohort carries the parts to construct . . ." This is more likely to be a light trebuchet than an onager with a range of around 1/3 mile. Specialized engineering centuries will carry the parts for a heavy trebuchet throwing a 400 pound rock 1/4 mile. > Every century of a legion is equipped with a cart-mounted ballista > capable of projecting a foot-long bolt over a fifth of a mile. A legion > thus has ten siege catapults and 59 ballistae. These sling ballistae may also be used throw flammables at a somewhat reduced range. Jefferson (Exquaestio) http://www.picotech.net/~jeff_wilson63/rpg/ ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send mail to celandra-off@phoenyx.net.
Jefferson wrote: >Andrew Janssen wrote: > >The technology of Qaiyore is more advanced than that of early Rome. This >would likely create some changes in equipment. > > > >>Legionaries are armed with two javelins and a short stabbing sword which >>is about 16 inches long for legionaries, and about two feet long for >>centurions and above. Legionaries carry their swords high on the right >>side, but officers carry their swords low-slung on the left side. >> >> > >Swords will be lighter, and thus can be made longer more cheaply. One length >would be standardized for all ranks, probably around 20 inches. Centurions >and greater will have better quality blades, and officers may bear heirloom >blades of remarkable quality. > > > No, the swords would not be longer for the legionaries. Experiments have shown that it is practically impossible for a sword longer than twenty inches and slung on the right side to be drawn right handed. Because officers wear their swords on the left, they have longer swords. Their longer swords also help distinguish them. >>All ranks wear steel lorica segmentata body armor and >> >> > > 'backwards-jockey-cap' helmets made of bronze with an iron liner, > >There's a great deal of debate about lorica segmentata vs. mail. From what I >can tell lorica is a little more protective, _much_ more expensive, heavier, >and harder to get into. I'm inclined to think that the Cedonian legions would >primarily use chain. Upper ranks would wear a breastplate at the very least >and possibly other pieces of plate as well. > >The helmet would be of iron. Forged instead of cast it would be shaped >differently than the helm described. > > > You're welcome to your opinion, but this is my society. The Cedonians use lorica segementata, but tribunes and legates may purchase their own breastplates. You've got a good point about the helmets, though. A closer reading of my source material(_The Roman Imperial Army of the First and Second Centuries A.D._, by Graham Webster) does suggest that bronze helmets were limited to the Republican period, and were being replaced by the Imperial-Gallic iron helmet in the early Imperial period. This later helmet provided more neck protection and added bronze ear-protectors. >>and all ranks carry plywood >>shields bound at the edges with wrought iron or bronze. >> >> > >Iron. Bronze is too expensive. > > Is it? What do we really know about the relative abundance of metals in Qaiyore? What makes bronze expensive has always been tin, which is much rarer than copper. If the Cedonians have access to stanneries, I could see bronze being cheaper. I think, however, you're probably right, but not simply because of cost. Bronze is softer than iron, and an enemy's weapon is more likely to get bound in bronze edging, making the shield useless. Legionaries in the field probably used iron edging, and the bronze edging was used by the legion stationed in the capital. > > >>All ranks have a heavy leather apron to protect the groin, and all >> >> > > ranks wear hobnailed boots. > >Mail instead of heavy leather. > > > No, they use leather. The apron is actually a number of leather strips with metal plates riveted on, and with small bronze weights at the ends. >>Each cohort of a legion has a heavy siege catapult, or onager, attached >>to it. A typical onager can hurl a 55-pound rock over an eighth of a >>mile. >> >> > >I think you mean, "Each cohort carries the parts to construct . . ." This is >more likely to be a light trebuchet than an onager with a range of around 1/3 >mile. Specialized engineering centuries will carry the parts for a heavy >trebuchet throwing a 400 pound rock 1/4 mile. > > > I assumed that it would be understood that "some assembly is required". And it is an onager, not a trebuchet. There are no seperate specialist units in the army. Legionaries with specialist skills are called 'immunes' and are exempt from being assigned heavy fatigues by the centurions; they also receive 1.5x the pay of an ordinary legionary. A short list of immunes would include surveyors, medics, ballista & onager crews, smiths of all sorts, clerks, butchers, and millers. All legionaries are expected to know how dig a proper ditch. If heavier siege equipment than the legion normally carries is needed, the appropriate immunes can construct it. >>Every century of a legion is equipped with a cart-mounted ballista >>capable of projecting a foot-long bolt over a fifth of a mile. A legion >>thus has ten siege catapults and 59 ballistae. >> >> > >These sling ballistae may also be used throw flammables at a somewhat reduced >range. > > > Spring-ballistae would be a better description--the projective power comes from two vertical torsion coils at the front, the bow arms then being winched back, and the bowstring held by a catch. Andrew >Jefferson (Exquaestio) >http://www.picotech.net/~jeff_wilson63/rpg/ >---------------------------------------------------------------- >To unsubscribe, send mail to celandra-off@phoenyx.net. > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send mail to celandra-off@phoenyx.net.
Andrew Janssen wrote: > > No, the swords would not be longer for the legionaries. Experiments have > shown that it is practically impossible for a sword longer than twenty > inches and slung on the right side to be drawn right handed. Because > officers wear their swords on the left, they have longer swords. Their > longer swords also help distinguish them. I see. [snip armor -- A good point was brought up that we don't know how common tin is on Qaiyore] > No, they use leather. The apron is actually a number of leather strips > with metal plates riveted on, and with small bronze weights at the ends. I admit I'm not extensively familiar with the Roman period, but I don't see how this is lighter, cheaper, or more protective than a skirt of mail. Mercenary pikemen c. 1300 used something similar, albeit with much less metal, as a jerkin and switched to mail as soon as they could afford it. > I assumed that it would be understood that "some assembly is required". > And it is an onager, not a trebuchet. Each onager requires about 1/4 mile of twisted animal sinew, with all the problems involved with animal products. With the level of technology avalable on Qaiyore a counterweight-driven trebuchet is lighter, cheaper, and more effective. > There are no seperate specialist > units in the army. Legionaries with specialist skills are called > 'immunes' and are exempt from being assigned heavy fatigues by the > centurions; they also receive 1.5x the pay of an ordinary legionary. A > short list of immunes would include surveyors, medics, ballista & onager > crews, smiths of all sorts, clerks, butchers, and millers. All > legionaries are expected to know how dig a proper ditch. If heavier > siege equipment than the legion normally carries is needed, the > appropriate immunes can construct it. > > Spring-ballistae would be a better description--the projective power > comes from two vertical torsion coils at the front, the bow arms then > being winched back, and the bowstring held by a catch. There are two types of ballistae, called "bolt throwers" and "stone throwers" in some sources. In the first a simple rope is stretched between the two torsion arms (line ballista). The second uses a more complicated arrangement where multiple ropes are attached to a sort of leather sling (sling ballista). Personally, I prefer the sling ballista for my concultures. It can't throw a bolt as far, is more expensive, and more likely to fail, but a line ballista can't throw stones or similar objects at all. (The two different types are seldom-to-never used together because using a bolt designed for the other machine is likely to wreck the firing machine.) Jefferson (Exquaestio) http://www.picotech.net/~jeff_wilson63/rpg/Exq_Main.html ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send mail to celandra-off@phoenyx.net.
Jefferson wrote: >Andrew Janssen wrote: > > >>No, they use leather. The apron is actually a number of leather strips >>with metal plates riveted on, and with small bronze weights at the ends. >> >> > >I admit I'm not extensively familiar with the Roman period, but I don't see >how this is lighter, cheaper, or more protective than a skirt of mail. >Mercenary pikemen c. 1300 used something similar, albeit with much less metal, >as a jerkin and switched to mail as soon as they could afford it. > > > The leather straps are only in front of the groin, and they are suspended from the legionary's belt. Most soldiers tucked the ends of the straps into the belt. The center of the Roman's tactical doctrine was the ability of the legionaries to move quickly--to further that end, Roman soldiers wore no leg protection. Similarly, the use of the narrow apron of metal-covered leather straps rather than a chain skirt. >>I assumed that it would be understood that "some assembly is required". >>And it is an onager, not a trebuchet. >> >> > >Each onager requires about 1/4 mile of twisted animal sinew, with all the >problems involved with animal products. With the level of technology avalable >on Qaiyore a counterweight-driven trebuchet is lighter, cheaper, and more >effective. > > > Hm, good point. I might make the change. However, which one would be quicker to set up? The Cedonians would definitely prefer whichever weapon takes less time to set up in the field, because even though the onager is considered a siege engine, it was also used as an anti-personnel weapon. Also, as far as I can tell from my source material, the Roman onagers used rope rather than sinew to provide the onager's torsion coil. >>There are no seperate specialist >>units in the army. Legionaries with specialist skills are called >>'immunes' and are exempt from being assigned heavy fatigues by the >>centurions; they also receive 1.5x the pay of an ordinary legionary. A >>short list of immunes would include surveyors, medics, ballista & onager >>crews, smiths of all sorts, clerks, butchers, and millers. All >>legionaries are expected to know how dig a proper ditch. If heavier >>siege equipment than the legion normally carries is needed, the >>appropriate immunes can construct it. >> >>Spring-ballistae would be a better description--the projective power >>comes from two vertical torsion coils at the front, the bow arms then >>being winched back, and the bowstring held by a catch. >> >> > >There are two types of ballistae, called "bolt throwers" and "stone throwers" >in some sources. In the first a simple rope is stretched between the two >torsion arms (line ballista). The second uses a more complicated arrangement >where multiple ropes are attached to a sort of leather sling (sling ballista). > Personally, I prefer the sling ballista for my concultures. It can't throw >a bolt as far, is more expensive, and more likely to fail, but a line ballista >can't throw stones or similar objects at all. (The two different types are >seldom-to-never used together because using a bolt designed for the other >machine is likely to wreck the firing machine.) > > > Cedonians would definitely use line ballistas, then. From their point of view, they want range and reliability in a field engine. Specifically, they use what the Romans called the Chieroballista, which has a spring frame made of steel, and bronze cylinders encasing the torsion coils. >Jefferson (Exquaestio) >http://www.picotech.net/~jeff_wilson63/rpg/Exq_Main.html >---------------------------------------------------------------- >To unsubscribe, send mail to celandra-off@phoenyx.net. > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send mail to celandra-off@phoenyx.net.
Andrew Janssen wrote: > The leather straps are only in front of the groin, and they are > suspended from the legionary's belt. Most soldiers tucked the ends of > the straps into the belt. The center of the Roman's tactical doctrine > was the ability of the legionaries to move quickly--to further that end, > Roman soldiers wore no leg protection. Similarly, the use of the narrow > apron of metal-covered leather straps rather than a chain skirt. I see. Yes, leather would be far better for that setup. (Though it gives to wonder about the possibilities of a plate codpiece. . . Another culture perhaps.) > Hm, good point. I might make the change. However, which one would be > quicker to set up? The Cedonians would definitely prefer whichever > weapon takes less time to set up in the field, because even though the > onager is considered a siege engine, it was also used as an > anti-personnel weapon. Also, as far as I can tell from my source > material, the Roman onagers used rope rather than sinew to provide the > onager's torsion coil. I many have been thinking of a different engine for the animal sinew (I know the Romans used both but thought sinew was standard), but a trebuchet would still be quicker to set up. An onager is more complicated, and you don't have to worry about "pre-stressing" the torsion coils. (I seem to remember it took a couple of days just to wind the coils, but I don't know what size machine that was.) You also don't have to worry about the torsion coils breaking during set up with a trebuchet. > Cedonians would definitely use line ballistas, then. From their point of > view, they want range and reliability in a field engine. Specifically, > they use what the Romans called the Chieroballista, which has a spring > frame made of steel, and bronze cylinders encasing the torsion coils. Sling ballistae might still be used in raised fixed fortifications where thrown stones can get a "gravity assist" for increased damage. Jefferson (Exquaestio) http://www.picotech.net/~jeff_wilson63/rpg/Exq_Main.html ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send mail to celandra-off@phoenyx.net.
Jefferson wrote: >Andrew Janssen wrote: > > >>Hm, good point. I might make the change. However, which one would be >>quicker to set up? The Cedonians would definitely prefer whichever >>weapon takes less time to set up in the field, because even though the >>onager is considered a siege engine, it was also used as an >>anti-personnel weapon. Also, as far as I can tell from my source >>material, the Roman onagers used rope rather than sinew to provide the >>onager's torsion coil. >> >> > >I many have been thinking of a different engine for the animal sinew (I know >the Romans used both but thought sinew was standard), but a trebuchet would >still be quicker to set up. An onager is more complicated, and you don't have >to worry about "pre-stressing" the torsion coils. (I seem to remember it took >a couple of days just to wind the coils, but I don't know what size machine >that was.) You also don't have to worry about the torsion coils breaking >during set up with a trebuchet. > > > Trebuchets are fine for sieges, but after doing some research online, I think I understand why onagers have their place. It's not a clear-cut situation. Trebuchets generally fire at a fixed range. You can tweak the range somewhat by adjusting the counterweight or the sling length, but that takes too much time in battle, and there is always going to be a large dead zone. With an onager, if you swap the sling for a spoon, you have a reasonably effective anti-personnel weapon. Even with the sling, an onager is more effective at close ranges. Trebuchets are extremely precise weapons, well-suited to delivering its payload to the exact same spot, over and over, even at night. A typical trebuchet has a crew of up to 50 men, depending on size, and fires at a rate of two shots per hour. There exists a man-powered(rather than gravity-powered) variant of the trebuchet called the bricole; it had a very high rate of fire, and were used to attack the crews of enemy engines. Onagers are more effective at shorter ranges than the trebuchet is capable of, and the manpower requirement is less. They can change their point of aim more readily. I suspect that the rate of fire might be higher for the onager, but can't be sure. Cedonian legions probably use onagers for their ability to function both as field and siege artillery, but they have the hardware and beam-arms needed to construct heavy trebuchets at their base fort. If a legion does find itself in a situation that requires a trebuchet, they can bring the trebuchet parts forward. When a campaign is being conducted solely against a field army, or against an opponent who does not have stone fortifications, the trebuchet parts are generally left at the base. >>Cedonians would definitely use line ballistas, then. From their point of >>view, they want range and reliability in a field engine. Specifically, >>they use what the Romans called the Chieroballista, which has a spring >>frame made of steel, and bronze cylinders encasing the torsion coils. >> >> > >Sling ballistae might still be used in raised fixed fortifications where >thrown stones can get a "gravity assist" for increased damage. > > Possibly, but unlikely. Given the differences in technology, the Cedonians are probably in the process of replacing their ballistae with arbeleste du tours--essentially a greatly enlarged crew-served crossbow that uses tension rather than torsion as its propulsive force. Andrew >Jefferson (Exquaestio) >http://www.picotech.net/~jeff_wilson63/rpg/Exq_Main.html > >---------------------------------------------------------------- >To unsubscribe, send mail to celandra-off@phoenyx.net. > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send mail to celandra-off@phoenyx.net.
I wrote the original post in what might be considered an altered state of consciousness--I was pretty sick last night, and I was pretty tired, too. I'm feeling better today, as I can talk and swallow properly, although I still sound like someone stuffed cotton up my nose. Anyway, there were a couple details I forgot to mention, in particular, that of pay and the medical service. Pay: Legionaries are paid three times a year. The yearly base pay for a legionary is 300 imperials, an immune receives 450 imperials, junior officers and HQ staff receive 600 imperials, optios(future centurions) receive 900 imperials, ordinary centurions receive 1500 imperials, Second Spears receive 3000 imperials, and First Spears and prefects receives 6000 imperials per year. Ranks above prefect generally possess private incomes as nobles; those who do not have private incomes are paid at the rate of 7500 imperials per year. The costs of a soldier's food, clothes, bedding, boots, weapons, and armor are all taken out of his pay. Food, bedding, and boots are constant expenses; costs of clothes, weapons, and armor are deducted on an as-needed basis. In the case of weapons and armor, the soldier is not paying the full cost. Legionaries are also expected to make a yearly contribution to their century's burial society. Money contributed to the society pays for funeral expenses of legionaries who die in service. Pay stoppages for an ordinary legionary might consume on average 50% of his base pay. The percentages decrease as one moves up through the ranks. Typically, then, an ordinary legionary would be left with a net yearly pay of 150 imperials. However, this is still not the amount he would finally get paid. All ranks are required to deposit half their net pay in the legion's bank. So, out of his base pay of 300 imperials per year, an ordinary legionary would only pocket 75 imperials per year. The major advantage of military service in Cedonia is that a soldier's wages are not taxed, at any rank When a legionary is discharged, he receives his saved pay as a lump sum payment--for an ordinary legionary with the full twenty-five years of service, this would amount to 1875 imperials; for an immune, 2812.5 imperials. He also receives a payment of 4,000 imperials, enough to buy a small farm. If a legionary dies in service, his saved pay goes to his designated next-of-kin, typically either his parents, a sibling, or his widow and orphans. If there is no next-of-kin, his savings become part of the legion's general funds. Centurions receive a much larger discharge bonus, and First Spears and prefects receive the largest bonus, about 25,000 imperials. Medicine: Each cohort has an assigned surgeon, and the legion as a whole has a chief medical officer. Surgeons are ranked and paid as centurions, with the chief medical officer being ranked and paid as a Second Spear. A certain number of men in each century are also trained as medics. The medics' job is to provide initial first aid to wounded soldiers, to keep them alive long enough to reach first the field hospital, and eventually the base hospital at the legion's permanent fortress. All legion surgeons are also clerics of the Order of Mithrak, the Cedonian War God. They have the ability to provide anesthesia to wounded soldiers through their link to the god. Antiseptics are largely chemical, such as alcohol and pitch; and antibiotics are largely unknown, but here again, the surgeons can invoke the power of Mithrak. Post-surgery, pain relief is typically provided by opium or laudanum. Generally, a wounded legionary who survives long enough to reach a surgeon will probably survive his wounds--he has a better chance than a soldier in the American Civil War would. The medical officers of a legion are also responsible for maintaining legionary health in camp. They supervise the positioning of latrines and water sources. They are also responsible for inspecting food and fodder purchased by the legion, and have the power to reject food as unfit for consumption. They can also impose penalties on persons who try to sell the legion unfit food. Every legion maintains a bath-house at its home base, and this, too, is inspected by the medical officers for safety. Cedonian medicine emphasizes adequate sleep, varied diet, vigorous exercise, and regular bathing. Andrew ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send mail to celandra-off@phoenyx.net.
