Hastati
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Hastati (sg.: hastatus) were a class of infantry employed in the
History and deployment
Hastati appear to have been remnants of the old third class of the army under the
Camillan system
By the 4th century BC the military the Romans had inherited from the Etruscans was still being used. Though its efficiency was doubtful, it proved effective against Rome's largely local adversaries. When Gauls invaded Etruria in 390 BC, the inhabitants requested help from Rome. The small contingent Rome sent to repel the Gallic invaders provoked a full-scale attack on Rome. The entire Roman army was destroyed at the
In this type of legion, the 900 hastati formed 15 maniples, military units of 60 men each. Attached to each maniple were about 20 leves, javelin-armed light infantry.[7] The hastati stood in the first battle line, in front of the principes of the second line and the triarii of the third.[5] In a pitched battle, the leves would form up at the front of the legion and harass the enemy with their javelins to cover the advance of the hastati. If the hastati failed to break the enemy during their engagement, they would fall back and let the heavier principes take over. If the principes could not break them, they would retire behind the triarii spearmen, who would then engage the enemy in turn. The equites, cavalrymen, were used as flankers and to pursue routed enemies. The rorarii and accensi in the final battle line were some of the least dependable troops, and were used in a support role, providing mass and reinforcing wavering areas of the line.[4]
Polybian system
By the time of the
The hastati had been increased in number to 1,200 per legion, and formed 10 maniples of 120 men each.[10] The rorarii and accensi had been disbanded. Leves had been replaced with velites, who had a similar role but were now also attached to principes and triarii.[10] Pitched battles were conducted in a similar fashion; the velites would gather at the front and fling javelins to cover the advance of the hastati. If the hastati failed to break the enemy, they would fall back on the principes, who had also been re-armed with swords. If the principes could not break them, they would retire behind the triarii, who would then engage the enemy.[11]
This order of battle was almost always followed, the battle of the Great Plains and the battle of Zama being among the few notable exceptions. At the Great Plains, Scipio, the Roman general, formed his men up in the usual manner, but once the hastati had begun to engage the enemy, he used his principes and triarii as a flanking force, routing the opposing Carthaginian troops.[12][13]
At Zama, Scipio arranged his men into columns, side by side, with large lanes in between. The opposing Carthaginian elephants were drawn into these lanes where many were killed by velites without inflicting many casualties on the Romans. Once the surviving elephants had been routed, Scipio formed his men into a long line with his triarii and principes in the centre and hastati on the flanks, ready to engage the Carthaginian infantry.[13]
Late republic
With the putative reforms of
See also
References
- ISBN 0-19-532878-7.
- ISBN 1-84176-932-0.
- ISBN 0-19-532878-7.
- ^ ISBN 0-415-14953-3.
- ^ ISBN 0-89341-166-3.
- ISBN 0-89341-166-3.
- ISBN 0-19-532878-7.
- ISBN 0-19-532878-7.
- ISBN 0-300-12048-6.
- ^ ISBN 0-89341-166-3.
- ISBN 1-84176-932-0.
- ^ Niebuhr, Barthold; Schmitz, Leonhard (1849). Lectures on the history of Rome Georg. Taylor, Walton, and Maberly. p. 151.
- ^ ISBN 1-85532-598-5.
- ISBN 0-19-532878-7.
- ISBN 0-89341-166-3.