CAMP, ROMAN. 



CAMP, ROMAN. 



.-. .11 



Perhaps the complete* description which wo have of Roman camp 

 may be found in Polybius, who haa in the sixth book of hi* history 

 given a pretty full account of the militiry tacUoa of the Romans, |rt 

 of which, relating to their eastrainetation, we ahall condense with the 

 further information collected by General Roy. Polybius lived at a 

 time when the institutions of the Republic were in their full vigour; 

 he had gained military experience in the armies of his country ; and 

 hi* opportunitiea of acquiring in format ion. both from personal observa- 

 tion and from the information of othera, were ample. The Roman 



legion, we may remark, in the time of Polybius consisted of 4200 

 infantry (or in time of peculiar emergency 6000 infantry) ami 300 

 cavalry. The Consular army was formed of two legion* ; with a body 

 of allied foot, equal in number to the infantry of the legions, < 

 the extraordinaries, chosen troops of the allies, who probably amounted 

 to 2100, or when the legion was of 5000 infantry, to 2500 ; and of 

 allied horse, thrice the number of the legionary cavalry ; of them 

 allied horse one-third were drafted for the extraordinariea, making the 

 { total of the Consular army 18,900, or 22,500 infantry and 2100 hone. 



FLAX or TUE POLTHAX Civr or A BOHAX CoxscLAa ARMY. 

 The Pretoria*, or Qtuntorian Gt. 



I 



2. 

 n 



The Drcumaii, or Extraordinary Gat*. 



When a place mutable for a camp had been chosen, ami tlic choice 

 of a mutable spot was regarded as a very important part of the com- 

 mander's duty, the first thing was to fix a standard on the K]K.t jml^l 

 to be most adapted for overlooking the army when encamped, and 

 seeding commands to the different quarters. Hound tliin ntaiidard a 

 square of 200 feet was measured, and set a|rt for the general's 

 quarters : this was called pnctoriim (A), from the name prater, which, 

 according to early Roman usage, was the general title of a military 

 commander. On that side of this square inclosure which wan deemed 

 mort suitable for obtaining forage and water, the bulk (.f the army 

 was encamped, and (hat side ..f UMBTMftrfMi and the corresponding 

 side of the camp, we shall follow Polybius in calling ' the front.' In 

 front then of the pratoritm, distant from it fifty feet, on a lino 

 running acroas the camp, were placed the tents and baggage of the 

 legionary tribunes (B ID, IK. in the ordinary consular army (of two 

 Roman legions with the regular proportion of allies, as already 

 explained) amounted to twelve : and towards either extremity of 

 the same line were the tent* of the j.raftrti (cc) or officers, who 

 held among the allies a rank similar to that of tlir tribunes in 

 the legjona. These tenU wore pitched with their backs to the j-ra- 

 I ,rim. 



In front of tin- tribunen' tent*, a passage, 100 feet wide, called in 

 our plan the Privrlfin , or //r/wcr/'oi ftmt (DD), ran across the camp ; 

 and U-twrcii tin- .-id.- of thi passage and a line parallel to it, near the 

 front of tlir camp, the soldiers were encamped in linen, hirli formed a 

 right angle with the Prindpia. The soldiers' quartern were divided 

 into two parts by a passage 50 feet wide (s), which ran from the 

 pratorium to the front of the camp. On each side of this street were 

 posted the Roman cavalry, and next to them the Triarii, one of the 

 divisions of UK- legionary infantry. Next to these were two passages 

 of 60 feet wide (FFFF), and then tin- Prinrijitt and the Jl,i<tti. tin- 

 other divisions of the Roman infantry. The tent* of each division 

 fronted the passage next to them, HO that when the touts of two 

 divisions, as of the cavalry and tin 1 Trinrii, and of the Pruuiftttad 

 the Hattati, were not separated l.y .in intervening pawgc, they had 

 their backs to each other. There were in a legion ten turnur of the 

 cavalry, and ten mnni)>li of encli division of the infantry; and the 

 turnur and maiupWi of each division were encamped in one range along 

 the passages, a quadrangular space of 100 feet square being allotted to 

 each tvrmn of cavalry, and each manipnlta of the Prindpet and lln.-imi. 

 while each mnnipnlia of the Triarii, which had seldom more than half 

 the complement of the other manipuli, had a space of 100 feet by 50. 



