The disposition of the Roman legion in bastion was so divided: in the front line there
were the astati ( from the word "hasta", lance, lancers; the hasta was replaced by the
"pilum", lighter javelin which was thrown at the beginning of the fight); in the second
line there were trained soldiers, the principi (prime, principal); in the third line the
Triari, who were the veterans.
During the battle, the veliti, foot-soldiers lightly armed were positioned in front of
the legion. They had to attack with darts and slings. Then the astati attacked the
enemy or received the attack. If the enemy resisted or was too strong the principi sent
in the intervals of the astati and formed an unbroken line. If the battle went on, the
strong triari intervened.
At the end of the century b.C., when the Romans had to face a larger number of
enemies, the Consul Caio Mario reformed the legion. It was reinforced and disposed
in two lines, and made up of cohorts (no longer maniples) each of 500 men.
The Roman camp
The Romans were real experts in the organization of camps.
They hoisted a white flag where the consuls' tents would be placed, and three red flags in
the spaces reserved to the tribunes ( the latter are the commanders of the army). In
this way, when the army arrived, each legionary oriented by the flags, would know
where he was encamped, because everybody always had the same place in a Roman
camp.
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