The Roman army has been known since the Republic for its discipline and clear commands. This made it possible to successfully apply on the battlefield unusual for that time tactics of rebuilding and conducting combat.
This article will introduce the reader to how commands were pronounced in Latin and how they were performed in Ancient Rome, as well as show how drill teams are used by modern reenactors. The sources from which the team's data was compiled are presented at the end of the article. It is based on the most complete treatise on the strategy of the Roman war of the later period: Strategikon Mauritius. It was supplemented by well-known written sources from earlier authors, such as Vegetius and Polybius.
Common commands:
Dirige frontem-[di-ri-ge front – tam] - attention
Venite – [ve-ni-te] – build up
Reverte – [re-ver-te] – cancel the command
Signum demittite- [sig-num de-mit-ti-te] - break up
Silentium- [si-len-ti-um] - silence
Mandata captate- [man-da-ta cap-ta-te] – attention
Turns:
Ad contum, clina- [ad con-tum kli-na] – to the right
Ad scutum, clina- [ad sku-tum kli-na] - to the left
Move ad contum-[move ad con - tum] - side step to the right
Move ad scutum-[move ad sku - tum] - side step to the left
Ad contum (scutum) depone- [ad con-tum (sku-tum) de-po-ne] - rotation of the shoulder of the formation along the axis to the right (to the left)
Ad contum (scutum) deponite- [ad con-tum (sku-tum) de-po-ni-te] - to the right (to the left) in the movement behind the leader (only the first in the line turns, the rest follow him)
Battle:
Arma portate- [ar-ma por-ta-te] – take up arms
Arma demittite – [ar-ma de-mit-ti-te] – put down your weapon
Ad arma-[ad ar – ma] - to arms
Gladius destrigite-[gla-di-us des-tri-gi – te] - sword from the scabbard
Gladius recondite-[gla-di-us re-con-di – te] - sheathed sword
Vos servate- [vos sir-va-te] – shield yourself
Percute-[peer-ku – te] - Offensive. Quickly approach the enemy with a combat step, covered with shields.
Pila tollite-[saw tol-li – te] - Prepare the pilum for throwing, aim
Pila jactate-[pila yak-ta – te] - Throw the pilum
Movement:
Transforma-[trans-form – ma] - around
Redi! – [re-di] – to the original page
Movete – [mo-ve-te] – forward march
Ad contum (scutum) move- [ad kon-tum (sku-tum) mo-ve] - side steps to the right (to the left)
State – [sta-te] – stop
Celerate-[kel-e-ra – te] - faster
Tardate – [tar-da-te] – slower
Cede – [ke-de] – backward movement (before the Sta command)
Sta – [sta] – stop moving backwards
Unum, duo, tres, sta- [unum-duo-tres-sta] – one, two, three, stop
Gradum servate- [gra-dum sir-wa-te] – keep step
The order is equalized by the right term of the system. Slapping shields in a tight formation also goes to the right. After calculating "first-second", (prímus, secúndus) the second numbers (secúndi) in 2 steps (step back, step right) take over the first numbers (prími).
In primum, secundum numeramini- [in pri-mum se-kun-dum nu-me-ra-mi-ni] – on the first-second pay off
Ad duo, intra! - [ad duo, in-tra] - stand in two ranks from the first rank.
Ad duo, exi! – [ad duo, exi] - stand in two rows of four rows.
Ad quattuor, intra! [ad quat-tu-or, in-tra] - stand in four rows of 2 rows.
Ad quattuor, exi! [ad quat-tu-or, exi] - stand in four ranks out of 8 ranks.
Ad octo, intra! [hell ok-to, in-tra] - stand in eight rows of 4 rows.
Ad unum, exi! [ad uno, exi] - stand in a single line of 2 ranks.
Iunge- [yoon-gae] – close ranks at elbow distance
Largi-[lar – gi] - open the ranks
Mutare-[mu-ta - re] - replacing the first row. By the syllable mu-ta, the legionnaires of the second rank cover the first rank legionnaires in front with their shields. At the syllable "re", the legionnaires of the first rank move to the last row through the right side in reverse, without opening the shield.
Murus-[mu – rus] - build a shield wall
When pronouncing the first part of the command "mu", the first rank puts the shields in front of them, gets down on one knee, propping up the shield if possible. If there is a pilum/spears – it is placed at 45 degrees and rests on the ground and the second foot. On the second part of the team "rus", the second row puts shields on the first row, and the third, after, on the second. Subsequent rows do not overlap.
Tela-[te – la] - form a defensive formation against projectiles.
When the first part of the command "te" is pronounced, the first row is covered with shields, the second and subsequent rows raise the shields, turning them 90 degrees, thus preparing them for superimposition. On the second part of the "la" team, the second and subsequent ranks impose shields on the legionnaire in front of them.
Ad cuneum-[ad ku-ne – um] - building a wedge
Building occurs relative to the center (centurion/option). The center stays where he is, and his neighbors take two steps back. Each subsequent neighbor takes 2 steps back more than the previous one. The vexillation group goes inside the wedge, in the center, as far as possible from the center.
Ad testudinem-[ad tes-tu-di – nem] - building with a turtle
When pronouncing the first part of the command "ad tes", the first rank is covered with shields, the second and subsequent ranks raise the shields, turning them 90 degrees, thus preparing for the imposition, with the exception of flank legionnaires, who instead cover their flank with a shield regardless of the rank (the right flank takes the shields in the right hand). On the second part of the team "tu-di", the second and subsequent ranks impose shields on the legionnaire standing in front of the line. On the third part of the "nem" team, the flank legionnaires stand tightly in formation, covering the "turtle" on the sides.
Undique servate- [un-di-kw-e sir-wa-te] – circular defense
When pronouncing the first part of the command "un-di-kwe", the legionnaires form a protective perimeter. In the second part of the "sir-wa-te" command, the remaining legionnaires cover the outer protective perimeter with shields from above. The banner group stands in the center of the formation.
If a vexillarius is present in the formation, the alignment and overlap of shields is relative to it (those to the right of it are aligned to the left, those to the left of the vexillarius-to the right, with the overlap of shields-in the same way). The same applies to rearrangements with a change in the number of rows.
Silentium- [si-len-ti-um] - silence
Mandata captate- [man-da-ta cap-ta-te] – attention
Dirige frontem-[di-ri-ge front – tam] - attention
Venite – [ve-ni-te] – build up
Signum demittite- [sig-num de-mit-ti-te] - break up
Reverte – [re-ver-te] – cancel the command
Ad contum, clina-[ad con-tum, cli – na] - to the right
Ad scutum, clina- [ad sku-tum, cli-na] – to the left
Move ad contum-[mo-ve ad con - tum] - side step to the right
Move ad scutum-[mo-ve ad sku - tum] - side step to the left
Ad contum (scutum) depone- [ad con-tum (sku-tum) de-po-ne] - rotation of the shoulder of the formation along the axis to the right (to the left)
Ad contum (scutum) deponite- [ad kon-tum (sku-tum) de-po-ni-te] - to the right (to the left) in the movement behind the leader
Transforma-[trans-form – ma] - around
Redi! – [re-di] – to the original page
Movete – [mo-ve-te] – forward march
Ad contum (scutum) move- [ad kon-tum (sku-tum) mo-ve] - side steps to the right (to the left)
State – [sta-te] – stop
Celerate-[kel-e-ra – te] - faster
Tardate – [tar-da-te] – slower
Cede – [ke-de] – backward movement (before the Sta command)
Sta – [sta] – stop moving backwards
Unum, duo, tres, sta- [unum-duo-tres-sta] – one, two, three, stop
Gradum servate- [gra-dum sir-wa-te] – keep step
Arma portate- [ar-ma por-ta-te] – take up arms
Arma demittite – [ar-ma de-mit-ti-te] – put down your weapon
Ad arma-[ad ar – ma] - to arms
Gladium destrigite-[gla-di-um des-tri-gi – te] - sword from the scabbard
Gladium recondite-[gla-di-um re-kon-di – te] - sheathed sword
Vos servate- [vos sir-va-te] – shield yourself
Percute-[peer-ku – te] - Offensive. Quickly approach the enemy with a combat step, covered with shields.
Pila tollite-[saw tol-li – te] - Prepare the pilum for throwing, aim
Pila jactate-[pila yak-ta – te] - Throw the pilum
In primum, secundum numeramini- [in pri-mum se-kun-dum nu-me-ra-mi-ni] – on the first-second pay off
Ad duo, intra! [hell duo, intra] - stand in 2 ranks from the 1st rank.
Ad duo, exi! [hell duo, exy] - stand in two rows of 4 rows.
Iunge- [yoon-gae]– close ranks at elbow distance
Largi-[lar – gi] - open the ranks
Murus-[mu – rus] - build a shield wall
Tela- [te-la]– form a defensive formation against projectiles
Ad testudinem-[ad testu-tu-di– nem] - building a turtle
Ad cuneum-[ad ku-ne– um] - building a wedge
Undique servate- [un-di-kv-e ser-va-te] – circular defense
Mutare - [mu-ta-re] - change the first row
Legion, Legionnaire, Auxiliaries
Ludus Militis Tactica, Kal Malus, 2010
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