MacNeill — Early Irish Population- Groups. 103 



biataigh. Since tricha c^t means " thirty hundreds," the baile must represent 

 the hundred. This at once suggests the Germanic hundred and the Latin 

 centiiria, as divisions of the people. The original Eoman populus contained 

 thirty curiae. The principle of organization appears to have been at once 

 genealogical and religious, each curia having its own rites presided over by 

 a priest called curio. The thirty curiones formed a priestly college of the 

 whole state. Traces of a similar unity of the genealogical and religious 

 principles are also indicated in ancient Ireland (see § 56). The female 

 eponyms in Ireland have their analogue too in the Eoman curiae, some of 

 which were said to have derived their names from the Sabine women who 

 were the mothers of the Eoman people. 



141. The Eoman centuries, forming the comitia centuriata, were a civil 

 organization on a military basis. This, we shall see, was also the original 

 character of the Irish tricha cet. It denoted not only the civil organization 

 of the people, and the corresponding division of the territory, but also the 

 armed levy of each state. 



142. There are many ancient statements bearing on this point which still 

 require to be collected. For the present, one passage in Tain Bo Cuailngi will 

 serve as a locus classicus. It occurs at the episode in wliich Medb takes note 

 of the smart discipline and warlike eflficiency of one section of her allies, the 

 Galians of Leinster. Their superiority to her own troops evokes in her mind 

 only a jealous dismay, and she decides to order a treacherous massacre of the 

 Galians. Her Ulster comrade, Fergus, resolutely opposes this design, and 

 threatens to lead the allies against Medb if she persists in it. This argument 

 prevails, and Medb contents herself with separating the Galians into small 

 troops and distributing them throughout the army. 



143. " ' By the truth of my conscience,' said Fergus, ' no man shall do 

 death to them but the man who will do death to me.' 



" ' Thou, Fergus, must not say that to me,' said Medb, ' for I am strong 

 enough in numbers to slay and overwhelm thee with the thirty-hundred 

 of the Galians around thee. For I have the seven Maines with their seven 

 thirty-hundreds, and the Sons of Magu with their thirty hundred, and Ailill 

 with bis thirty-hundred, and I too have a like force. There we are, strong 

 enovigh to slay and overwhelm thee with the thirty-hundred of the Galians 

 around thee.' 



" ' It is not fitting to tell me so,' said Fergus. ' For I have here the seven 

 petty kings of the Munstermen with their seven thirty-hundreds. There are 

 here the thirty hundred of the best fighting men of Ulster. There are here 

 the best of the fighting men of Ii'eland, the thirty-hundred of the GaUans. I 

 am their security, their guarantee, and their safeguard from the day they left 



