Talk:Imperial Roman army

Lead and infobox

This article's very long lead section is likely to be offputting to readers - I'd strongly suggest trimming it to three or so medium-length paragraphs. I'd also suggest adding the Template:Infobox military unit infobox to summarise the article's content. Nick-D (talk) 23:21, 25 December 2010 (UTC)

Class and assessments

Why is this article only rated C-class? And what has happened to the 20-odd quality-ratings, which averaged 5.0?

Rank Comparisons

It would seem to me that the rank comparisons in Section 10 are somewhat in error. For example, the men in charge of a Century (80 men) or a Cohort (480), more-or-less comparable to a Platoon or Battalion respectively, are stated as being commanded by Senior NCOs (who serve in advisory/discip roles to their Commanding Officer) rather than the actual officers that command them (Lieutenant and Major respectively). The 'coming from the ranks' idea is not comparable for the most part because that was how the Roman Army worked, unlike our own which specially trains its officers. The rank comparisons should be more in-line with the unit-sizes as the simplest comparison is often the easiest. On that note the Legatus would be more comparable to a Brigadier than a full General. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Imperial_Roman_army&action=edit&section=3#

I don't think the average reader knows enough about modern military ranks to understand the nuances you highlight. In any case, in Wikipedia, content sourced to a published academic authority (as is Michael Grant) must always be used. You are not an published academic authority on the Roman military (correct me if I'm mistaken) and thus your own invented rank comparisons, whatever their validity, are inadmissible.EraNavigator (talk) 14:38, 26 October 2013 (UTC)

I would question how much use these comparisons are, except as irritators. Anyone who has an idea of the meaning of the modern ranks will find enough difference to be annoying, and anyone who doesn't will find the modern ranks of no use at all. Even though we do have a reliable source, I suggest removing them. Richard Keatinge (talk) 16:24, 22 October 2013 (UTC)

I beg to differ. I think the rank comparisons are helpful to readers who have no familiarity with Roman military ranks.EraNavigator (talk) 14:26, 26 October 2013 (UTC)

In any case, why is Michael Grant referred to? The reference in the text is to: Based on data in Goldsworthy (2003), pp.95-105; Holder (1980), pp.86-96; CAH Vol XI. Does any of these scholars actually state that a centurion was the equivalent of modern sergeant major? Does Grant know anything about a modern army? His comparisons are very much like the one done in the 17th century, when centurions were seen as sergeants, due to not being of nobility. When in fact both Roman knights and senators where of a comparatively much higher standing than the ordinary Continental nobleman of early modern Europe.

The basis for the Grant comparison is the faulty assumption that a commoner today (more likely in the 19th century or earlier) was the same as a commoner in Imperial Rome. Why state that it is modern rank comparison; today a commoner can become a general, even in the British Army? At best this is a comparison with the situation in Europe before the French Revolution.Creuzbourg (talk) 14:58, 30 April 2020 (UTC)

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dubious – discuss

See above under Rank Comparisons. Creuzbourg (talk) 15:12, 30 April 2020 (UTC)