- The Maniple System was the organisation and tactics used by the Roman Legions between 315-107 BCE, when it was replaced by the Cohort System.
- The Punic Wars (264-146 BCE) against Carthage were fought using the Maniple System.
The Samnite Wars (343-290 BCE)
- The Maniple System was introduced under the Roman Republic in 315 BCE, during the Samnite Wars (343-290 BCE).
- It was a system used by the Samnites, and subsequently adopted by the Romans, until the Marian Reforms of 107 BCE.
- Up to then, the Romans had been using the Greek style Hoplite Phalanx System.
- But the hilly terrain of the Samnites put the less flexible Phalanx system at a disadvantage.
- At the Battle of the Caudine Forks in 321 BCE, an entire Legion was forced to surrender, after which the Romans adopted the Maniple System.
The Maniple Structure
- The Legion
- Each Legion consisted of approximately 6,000 men divided into 60 Maniples.
- The Legion was divided into three lines which were offset diagonally for greater mobility, which was an improvement over the Phalanx System.
- The Maniple
- Every Maniple was separated from the next by a gap of one Maniple.
- Each Maniple consisted of two centuries of 60 men each, paired into a Maniple of 120 men and lined up into three ranks of 40 men.
- The Century
- The smallest unit of the Maniple was the century, consisting of approximately 60 to 80 men.
- The Soldier
- Each soldier had a six foot square fighting gap between himself and the next soldier, to allow him to swing his sword.
The Three Lines
- The Manipular Legion was divided into three lines:
- Hastati (2,400 men)
- The First line: 20 Maniples of Hastati, each with 120 men.
- New recruits and youngest soldiers.
- Principes (2,400 men)
- The Second Line: 20 Maniples of Principes, each with 120 men.
- More experienced soldiers.
- Triarii (1,200 men)
- The Third Line: 20 Maniples of Triarii, each with 60 men.
- Senior and very experienced soldiers.
- The Triarii would squat or kneel, to avoid being caught up in the early stages of the battle.
- Hastati (2,400 men)
The Tactics
- The Velites
- In front of the Legion would be a group of approximately 1,000 Skirmishers or Javelin Throwers called the Velites.
- They were not formed into units, but were attached to each Maniple of Hastati, Principes and Triarii.
- They wore virtually no armour, but acted as a screen for the Legion.
- Once having thrown their javelins at the enemy, they would retreat behind the lines of the Hastati.
- The Hastati
- The Hastati formed the First line of the Legion.
- If the Hastati encountered serious resistance they could fall back through the Maniple lines, leaving the Principes to confront the enemy.
- The Principes
- The Principes formed the second line of the Legion.
- If the Principes were unable to hold off the enemy, they could also fall back through the lines and leave the experienced Triarii to confront the enemy.
- The Triarii
- The Triarii formed the Third and Final line of the Legion.
- However, to fall back on the Triarii would only happen if the Battle was going very badly.
- The Latin phrase Ad triarios redisse meaning ‘to fall back on the Triarii’, came to mean ‘to be in desperate straits’.
Additional Troops
- Velites:
- 1,000 light skirmishers armed with Javelins, attached to each of the 60 Maniples.
- Cavalry:
- Equestrian Romans.
- Auxiliaries:
- Cavalry as well as Infantry, from the Allies of Rome.
Wars won using the Maniple System
- The Punic Wars (264-146 BCE)
- The wars against Carthage were won using the Maniple System.
- The Macedonian Wars (214-148 BCE)
- The Ancient Greeks using the Phalanx System were defeated by the Romans using the Maniple System.
The Cohort System (From 101 BCE onwards)
- Eventually the Maniple System was replaced by the Cohort System during the Marian Reforms (107-101 BCE).
Sources