Until the Roman military disaster of 390 BC at the Battle of the Allia, Rome's army was organised similarly to the Greek phalanx. This was due to Greek influence in Italy "by way of their colonies". Patricia Southern quotes ancient historians Livy and Dionysius in saying that the "phalanx consisted of 3,000 infantry and 300 cavalry". Each man had to provide their equipment in battle; the military equipment which they could afford determined which position they took in the battle. Politically they shared the same ranking system in the Comitia Centuriata.