ing a stream; it will be seen that the standards differed from each other in shape, and consequently that it was easy for a soldier to recognize the division to which he belonged. 9. A cohort was formed by taking a manipulus from each of the battalions; more frequently two manipuli were taken, and the cohort then contained six hundred men. The cavalry were divided into tur'mæ, consisting each of thirty men. 10. A battle was usually commenced by the light troops, who skirmished with missile weapons; the hasta'ti then advanced to the charge, and if defeated fell back on the prin'cipes; if the enemy proved still superior, the two front lines retired to the ranks of the tria'rii, which being composed of veteran troops, generally turned the scale. But this order was not always observed, the number of divisions in the legion made it extremely flexible, and the commander-in-chief could always adapt the form of his line to circumstances. 11. The levies of troops were made in the Cam'pus Mar'tius by the tribunes appointed to command the legions. The tribes which were to supply soldiers were determined by lot, and as each came forward, the tribunes in their turn selected such as seemed best fitted for war. Four legions were most commonly the number in an army. When the selected individuals had been enrolled as soldiers, one was chosen from each legion to take the military oath of obedience to the generals, the other soldiers swore in succession to observe the oath taken by their foreman. 12. Such was the sacredness of this obligation that even in the midst of the political contests by which the city was distracted, the soldiers, though eager to secure the freedom of their country, would not attempt to gain it by mutiny against their commanders. On this account the senate frequently declared war, and ordered a levy as an expedient to prevent the enactment of a popular law, and were of course opposed by the tribunes of the people. 13. There was no part of the Roman discipline more admirable than their form of encampment. No matter how fatigued the soldiers might be by a long march, or how harassed by a tedious battle, the camp was regularly measured out and fortified by a rampart and ditch, before any one sought sleep or refreshment. Careful watch was kept during the night, and frequent picquets sent out to guard against a surprise, and to see that the sentinels were vigilant. As the arrangement in every camp was the same, every soldier knew his exact position, and if an alarm occurred, could easily find the rallying point of his division. To this excellent system Polyb'ius attributes the superiority of the Romans over the Greeks, for the latter scarcely ever fortified their camp, but chose some place naturally strong, and did not keep their ranks distinct. An An open space Detachment of allied infantry Detachment of allied cavalry for the market, or for reviews. Tent Tribunes Præto- rium, or Tribunes Select Select cavalry. infantry. Veteran Veteran infantry. Præfects of the allies. open space where altars were erected, and sacrifices offered. Open space occupied by camp-attendants. Open space occupied by camp attendants. Cate. Allied Cavalry. Allied An open space occupied by servants. suttlers, and other camp attendants. Rampart and ditch. Decuman gate. Rampart and ditch. 14. The military age extended from the sixteenth to the forty-sixth year, and under the old constitution, no one could hold a civic office who had not served ten campaigns. The horsemen were considered free after serving through ten campaigns, but the foot had to remain during twenty. Those who had served out their required time were free for the rest of their lives, unless the city was attacked, when all under the age of sixty were obliged to arm in its defence. 15. In the early ages, when wars were begun and ended in a few days, the soldiers received no pay; but when the conquest of distant countries became the object of Roman ambition, it became necessary to provide for the pay and support of the army. This office was given to the quæstors, who were generally chosen from the younger nobility, and were thus prepared for the higher magistracies, by acquiring a practical acquaintance with finance. 16. The soldiers were subject to penalties of life and limb, at the discretion of the commander-in-chief, without the intervention of a court-martial; but it deserves to be recorded that this power was rarely abused. 17. There were several species of rewards to excite emulation; the most honourable were, the civic crown of gold to him who had saved the life of a citizen; the mural crown to him who had first scaled the wall of a besieged town; a gilt spear to him who had severely wounded an enemy; but he who had slain and spoiled his foe, received, if a horseman, an ornamental trapping, if a foot soldier, a goblet. 18. The lower classes of the centuries were excused from serving in the army, except on dangerous emergencies; but they supplied sailors to the navy. We learn from a document preserved by Polyb'ius, that the Romans were a naval power at a very early age. 19. This interesting record is the copy of a treaty concluded with the Carthaginians, in the year after the expulsion of the kings. It is not mentioned by the Roman historians, because it decisively establishes a fact which they st diously labour to conceal, that is, the weakness and decline of the Roman power, during the two centuries that followed the abolition of royalty, when the power of the state was monopolized by a vile aristocracy. In this treaty Rome negociates for the cities of La'tium, as her de pendencies, just as Carthage does for her subject colonies. But in the course of the following century, Rome lost her supremacy over the Latin cities, and being thus nearly excluded from the coast, her navy was ruined. 20. At the commencement of the first Punic war, the Romans once more began to prepare a fleet, and luckily obtained an excellent model in a Carthaginian ship that had been driven ashore in a storm. 21. The vessels used for war, were either long ships or banked galleys; the former were not much used in the Punic wars, the latter being found more convenient. The rowers of these sat on banks or benches, rising one above the other like stairs, and from the number of these benches, the galleys derived their names; that which had three rows of benches was called a trireme ; that which had four a quadrireme; and that which had five a quinquireme. Some vessels had turrets erected in them for soldiers and warlike engines; others had sharp prows covered with brass, for the purpose of dashing against and sinking their enemies. 22. The naval tactics of the ancients were very simple; the ships closed very early, and the battle became a contest between single vessels. It was on this account that the personal valour of the Romans proved more than a match for the naval skill of the Carthaginians, and enabled them to add the empire of the sea to that of the land. 23. Before concluding this chapter, we must notice the triumphal processions granted to victorious commanders. Of these there were two kinds; the lesser triumph, called an ovation, and the greater, called, emphatically, the triumph. In the former, the victorious general entered the city on foot, wearing a crown of myrtle; in the latter he was borne in a chariot; and wore a crown of laurel. The ovation was granted to such generals as had averted a 1 From ovis a sheep, the animal on this occasion offered in sacrifice; in the greater triumph the victim was a milk-white bull hung over with garlands, and having his horns tipped with gold. |