Accensi

"Accensi" (Singular: "Triarius") were light infantry in the armies of the early Roman Republic. They were the poorest men in the legion, and could not afford much equipment. They did not wear armour or carry shields, and their usual position was part of the third battle line. They fought in a loose formation, supporting the heavier troops. They were eventually phased out by the time of second Punic war.

History and deployment

"Accensi" appear to have evolved from the old fifth class of the army under the Etruscan kings when it was reformed by Marcus Furius Camillus.]

Camillan system

In the early Camillan system of organisation of the 3rd and 4th centuries BC, men were sorted into classes according to wealth, the "accensi" being the poorest. "accensi" were armed with slings which they used to hurl stones at enemy formations. They fought as skirmishers, wearing only a tunic and sometimes carrying a small round shield.

In this type of legion, the 900 "accensi" formed 15 maniples, military units of 60 men each, which were in turn part of 15 "ordi", larger units made up of a maniple of "triarii", a maniple of "rorarii" and a maniple of "accensi".cite book|last=Southern|first=Pat|title=The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History|publisher=Oxford university press|pages=90|isbn=0195328787|accessdate=6-12-2008|year=2007] The "accensi" stood in the last line of the legion, behind the front line of "hastati", the second line of "principes", the third of "triarii" and the fourth of "rorarii". In a pitched battle, the "leves", javelin armed skirmishers who were attached to maniples of "hastati", would form up at the front of the legion and harass the enemy with javelin fire and cover the advance of the "hastati", spear armed infantry. If the "hastati" failed to break the enemy, they would fall back and let the "principes", heavier and more experienced infantry, take over. If the "principes" did not break them, they would retire behind the "triarii", who would then engage the enemy in turn — hence the expression "rem ad Triarios redisse", "it has come to the "triarii" — signalling an act of desperation.cite book|last=Smith|first=William|title=A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities|publisher=Little, Brown, and Co.|pages=495|isbn=0893411663|accessdate=6-12-2008|year=1859] The "equites", cavalrymen, were used as flankers and to pursue routing enemies. The "rorarii", the poorer reserve soldiers, and "accensi", the least dependable troops armed with slings, would be used in a support role, providing mass and supporting wavering areas of the line.cite book|last=Mommsen|first=Theodor|title=The History of Rome, Book II: From the abolition of the monarchy in Rome to the union of Italy|series=The History of Rome|isbn=0415149533|accessdate=6-12-2008|year=1903]

Polybian system

By the time of the later Polybian system of the 2nd century BC, "accensi" had been phased out. "Velites", light skirmishers, would now fulfill skirmishing duties and troops that would usually have gone into the accensi would now be excluded from service. cite book|last=Southern|first=Pat|title=The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History|publisher=Oxford university press|pages=92|isbn=0195328787|accessdate=6-12-2008|year=2007]

ee also

*Structural history of the Roman military
*Roman infantry tactics

References