- Principes
"Principes" (Singular: "Princeps") were
spearmen , and laterswordsmen , in the armies of the early Roman Republic. They were men in the prime of their lives who were fairly wealthy, and could afford decent equipment. They were the heavier infantry of the legion who carried large shields and wore good quality armour. Their usual position was the second battle line. They fought inquincunx formation, supported by light troops. They were eventually done away with after theMarian reforms of 107 BC.History and deployment
"Principes" appear to have been remnants of the old second 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 based on wealth, the "principes" being the wealthiest after the "
triarii ".] The wealth and age requirements were scrapped. Soldiers would join as a career, rather than as service to the city, and would all be equipped as "miles", or soldiers, with the same, state purchased equipment. Auxiliaries, local irregular troops, would fulfill other roles, serving as archers, skirmishers andcavalry .cite book|last=Smith|first=William|title=A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities|publisher=Little, Brown, and Co.|pages=506|isbn=0893411663|accessdate=6-12-2008|year=1859]ee also
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Structural history of the Roman military
*Roman infantry tactics References
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