CASTRA. Roman armies never halted for a single night without forming
a regular entrenchment, termed _castra_, capable of receiving within
its limits the whole body of fighting men, their beasts of burden,
and the baggage. So completely was this recognised as a part of the
ordinary duties of each march, that _pervenire ad locum tertiis ...
quartis ... septuagesimis castris_ are the established phrases for
expressing the number of days occupied in passing from one point to
another. Whenever circumstances rendered it expedient for a force to
occupy the same ground for any length of time, then the encampment
was distinguished as _castra stativa_. In wild and barbarian lands,
where there were no large towns and no tribes on whose faith
reliance could be placed, armies, whether of invasion or occupation,
were forced to remain constantly in camps. They usually, however,
occupied different ground in summer and in winter, whence arose the
distinction between _castra aestiva_ and _castra hiberna_, both alike
being _stativa_. But whether a camp was temporary or permanent,
whether tenanted in summer or in winter, the main features of the
work were always the same for the same epoch. In hiberna, huts of
turf or stone would be substituted for the open tents of the aestiva
(hence _aedificare hiberna_), and in stativa held for long periods
the defences would present a more substantial and finished aspect,
but the general outline and disposition of the parts were invariable.
Polybius has transmitted to us a description of a Roman camp, from
which the annexed plan has been drawn up. It is such as would be
formed at the close of an ordinary day’s march by a regular consular
army consisting of two Roman legions with the full contingent of
Socii. Each legion is calculated at 4200 infantry and 300 cavalry;
the Socii furnished an equal number of infantry, and twice as many
cavalry, so that the whole force would amount to 16,800 foot and
1800 horse. Skill in the selection of a spot for a camp (_capere
locum castris_) was ever considered as a high quality in a general,
and we find it recorded among the praises of the most renowned
commanders that they were wont in person to perform this duty. Under
ordinary circumstances, however, the task was devolved upon one of
the military tribunes, and a certain number of centurions appointed
from time to time for the purpose. These having gone forward in
advance of the army until they reached the place near which it was
intended to halt, and having taken a general survey of the ground,
selected a spot from whence a good view of the whole proposed area
might be obtained. This spot was considerably within the limits of
the contemplated enclosure, and was marked by a small white flag. The
next object was to ascertain in what direction water and fodder might
be most easily and securely provided. These two preliminary points
being decided, the business of measuring out the ground (_metari
castra_) commenced, and was executed, as we learn from various
sources, with graduated rods (_decempedae_) by persons denominated
_metatores_. In practice the most important points were marked by
white poles, some of which bore flags of various colours, so that the
different battalions on reaching the ground could at once discover
the place assigned to them.
[Illustration: A, praetorium.--B, tents of the tribunes.--C, tents
of the praefecti sociorum.--D, street 100 feet wide.--E, F, G, and
H, streets 50 feet wide.--L, select foot and volunteers.--K, select
horse and volunteers.--M, extraordinary horse of the allies.--N,
extraordinary foot of the allies.--O, reserved for occasional
auxiliaries.--Q, the street called Quintana, 50 feet wide.--V P, via
principalis, 100 feet wide.]
The white flag A, which served as the starting point of the
whole construction, marked the position of the consul’s tent, or
_praetorium_, so called because _praetor_ was the ancient term for
any one invested with supreme command. A square area was left open,
extending a hundred feet each way from the praetorium. The camp was
divided into two parts, the upper and the lower. The upper part
formed about a third of the whole. In it was the _praetorium_ (A) or
general’s tent. A part of the praetorium was called the _Augurale_,
as the auguries were there taken by the general. On the right and
left of the praetorium were the _forum_ and _quaestorium_; the former
a sort of market-place, the latter appropriated to the quaestor and
the camp stores under his superintendence. On the sides of and facing
the forum and quaestorium, were stationed select bodies of horse
(K) taken from the extraordinaries, with mounted volunteers, who
served out of respect to the consul, and were stationed near him. And
parallel to these were posted similar bodies of foot-soldiers (L).
Before the quaestorium and the forum were the tents of the twelve
tribunes of the two legions (B), and before the select bodies of
horse and infantry the tents of the praefecti sociorum were probably
placed (C). Again, behind the praetorium, the quaestorium, and the
forum, ran a street or _via_ (D), 100 feet broad, from one side of
the camp to the other. Along the upper side of this street was ranged
the main body of the “extraordinary” horse (M): they were separated
into two equal parts by a street fifty feet broad (E). At the back
of this body of cavalry was posted a similar body of infantry (N),
selected from the allies, and facing the opposite way, _i.e._ towards
the ramparts of the camp. The vacant spaces (O) on each side of these
troops were reserved for foreigners and occasional auxiliaries.
The lower part of the camp was divided from the upper by a street,
called the _Via Principalis_ (V P), or _Principia_, a hundred feet
broad. Here the tribunal of the general was erected, from which he
harangued the soldiers, and here the tribunes administered justice.
Here also the principal standards, the altars of the gods, and the
images of the emperors were placed. The lower part of the camp was
occupied by the two legions and the troops of the allies according
to the arrangement of the preceding cut. Between the ramparts and
the tents was left a vacant space of 200 feet on every side, which
was useful for many purposes: thus it served for the reception of
any booty that was taken, and facilitated the entrance and exit of
the army. The camp had four gates, one at the top and bottom, and
one at each of the sides; the top or back-gate, which was the side
most away from the enemy, was called the _decumana_. The bottom or
the front gate was the _practoria_, the gates of the sides were the
_porta principalis dextra_, and the _porta principalis sinistra_. The
whole camp was surrounded by a trench (_fossa_), generally nine feet
deep and twelve broad, and a rampart (_vallum_) made of the earth
that was thrown up (_agger_), with stakes (_valli_) fixed at the
top of it. The labour of this work was so divided, that the allies
completed the two sides of the camp alongside of which they were
stationed, and the two Roman legions the rest.--In describing the
Roman camp and its internal arrangements, we have confined ourselves
to the information given by Polybius, which, of course, applies only
to his age, and to armies constituted like those he witnessed. When
the practice of drawing up the army according to cohorts, ascribed
to Marius or Caesar [EXERCITUS], had superseded the ancient division
into maniples, and the distinction of triarii, &c., the internal
arrangements of the camp must have been changed accordingly. In
each legion the tribunes divided themselves into three sections of
two each, and each section in turn undertook for two months the
superintendence of all matters connected with the camp. Out of the
twenty maniples of Principes and Triarii in each legion, two were
appointed to take charge of the broad passage or street called
_Principia_, extending right across the camp in front of the tents
of the tribunes. Of the remaining eighteen maniples of Principes and
Hastati in each legion, three were assigned by lot to each of the six
tribunes, and of these three maniples one in turn rendered each day
certain services to the tribune to whom it was specially attached.
One maniple was selected each day from the whole legionary force,
to keep guard beside the tent of the general. Three sentinels were
usually posted at the tents of the quaestor, and of the legati: and
by night sentinels kept watch at every maniple, being chosen out of
the maniple which they guarded. The Velites mounted guard by day
and by night along the whole extent of the vallum: to them also in
bodies of ten was committed the charge of the gates, while strong
bodies of infantry and cavalry were thrown forward in advance of
each gate, to resist any sudden onset, and give timely notice of the
approach of the enemy.--_Excubiae_; _excubias agere_; _excubare_;
are the general terms used with reference to mounting guard whether
by night or by day. _Vigiliae_; _vigilias agere_; _vigilare_; are
restricted to night duty: _Excubiae_ and _Vigiliae_ frequently
denote not only the service itself, but also the individuals who
performed it. _Stationes_ is used specially to denote the advanced
posts thrown forward in front of the gates. _Custodes_ or _Custodiae_
the parties who watched the gates themselves, _Praesidia_ the
sentinels on the ramparts, but all these words are employed in many
other significations also. The duty of going the rounds (_Vigilias
circuire s. circumire_) was committed to the Equites, and for this
purpose each legion supplied daily four, picked out from each turma
in rotation by the commander of the troop. The eight persons thus
selected decided by lot in which watch they should make their rounds,
two being assigned to each watch. They then repaired to the tribune,
and each individual received a written order specifying the posts
which he was to visit, every post being visited in each watch by one
or other of the two to whom the watch belonged. Sometimes we find
centurions, tribunes, and even the general in chief represented as
going the rounds, but, under ordinary circumstances, the duty was
performed as we have described. The watchword for the night was not
communicated verbally, but by means of a small rectangular tablet
of wood (πλατεῖον ἐπιγεγραμμένον--_tessera_) upon which it was
written.--_Breaking up a Camp._ On the first signal being given by
the trumpet, the tents were all struck and the baggage packed, the
tents of the general and the tribunes being disposed of before the
others were touched. At the second signal the baggage was placed upon
the beasts of burden; at the third, the whole army began to move.
CĂTĂLŎGUS (κατάλογος), the catalogue of those persons in Athens who
were liable to regular military service. At Athens, those persons
alone who possessed a certain amount of property were allowed to
serve in the regular infantry, whilst the lowest class, the thetes,
had not this privilege. [CENSUS.] Thus the former are called οἱ ἐκ
καταλόγου στρατεύοντες, and the latter οἱ ἔξω τοῦ καταλόγου.