 The early Roman army was tactically limited and its stance during this period was essentially defensive.By the 3rd century BC, the Romans abandoned the hoplite formation in favor of a more flexible system in which smaller groups of 120 (or in some cases 60) men called "maniples" could maneuver more independently on the battlefield.Thirty maniples arranged in three lines with supporting troops constituted a legion, totaling between 4,000 and 5,000 men.