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ftrength from the imagination, were enforced CHA P. by fears and hopes of a more fubftantial kind. Regular pay, occafional donatives, and a stated recompenfe after the appointed time of fervice, alleviated the hardships of the military life 3, whilft, on the other hand, it was impoffible for cowardice or disobedience to escape the feverest punishment. The centurions were authorized to chastife with blows, the generals had a right to punish with death; and it was an inflexible maxim of Roman discipline, that a good foldier fhould dread his officers far more than the enemy. From fuch laudible arts did the valour of the Imperial troops receive a degree of firmnefs and docility, unattainable by the impetuous and irregular paffions of barbarians.

And yet fo fenfible were the Romans of the Exercifes. imperfection of valour without skill and practice, that, in their language, the name of an army was borrowed from the word which fignified exercife 36. Military exercises were the important

35 See Gronovius de Pecunia vetere, 1. iii. p. 120, &c. The Emperor Domitian raised the annual stipend of the legionaries to twelve pieces of gold, which in his time, was equivalent to about ten of our guineas. This pay, fomewhat higher than our own, had been, and was afterwards, gradually increased, according to the progress of wealth and military government. After twenty years fervice, the veteran received three thousand denarii (about one hundred pounds fterling), or a proportionable allowance of land. The pay and advantages of the guards were, in general, about double those of the legions.

36 Exercitus ab exercitando, Varro de Linguâ Latinâ, 1. iv. Cicero in Tufculan. 1. ii. 37. There is room for à very interefting work, which should lay open the connexion between the languages and manners of nations.

VOL. I.

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and

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CHA P. and unremitted object of their difcipline. The recruits and young foldiers were conftantly trained both in the morning and in the evening, nor was age or knowledge allowed to excufe the veterans from the daily repetition of what they had completely learnt. Large fheds were erected in the winter-quarters of the troops, that their ufeful labours might not receive any interruption from the most tempeftuous weather; and it was carefully obferved, that the arms deftined to this imitation of war, fhould be of double the weight which was required in real action 37. It is not the purpose of this work to enter into any minute defcription of the Roman exercises. We shall only remark, that they comprehended whatever could add strength to the body, activity to the limbs, or grace to the motions. The foldiers were diligently inftructed to march, to run, to leap, to fwim, to carry heavy burdens, to handle every fpecies of arms that was used either for offence or for defence, either in distant engagement, or in a clofer onfet; to form a variety of evolutions; and to move to the found of flutes, in the Pyrrhic or martial dance 38. In the midst of peace, the Roman troops familiarised themselves with the practice of war; and it is prettily remarked by an ancient historian who had fought against them, that the effufion

37 Vegetius, 1. ii. and the rest of his first Book.

33 The Pyrrhic dance is extremely well illuftrated by M. le Beau, in the Academie des Infcriptions, tom. xxxv. p. 262, &c. That learned academician, in a series of memoirs, has collected all the paffages of the ancients that relate to the Roman legion.

of

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of blood was the only circumftance which dif- CHAP. tinguished a field of battle from a field of exercife 39. It was the policy of the ablest generals, and even of the emperors themselves, to encourage thefe military ftudies by their prefence and example; and we are informed that Hadrian, as well as Trajan, frequently condefcended to inftruct the unexperienced foldiers, to reward the diligent, and fometimes to dispute with them the prize of fuperior ftrength or dexterity 40. Under the reigns of thofe princes, the science of tactics was cultivated with fuccefs; and as long as the empire retained any vigour, their military inftructions were refpected as the most perfect model of Roman difcipline.

ons under the empe

Nine centuries of war had gradually intro. The legiduced into the fervice many alterations and improvements. The legions, as they are defcribed rors. by Polybius", in the time of the Punic wars, differed very materially from those which atchieved the victories of Cæfar, or defended the monarchy of Hadrian and the Antonines. The conftitution of the Imperial legion may be defcribed in a few words 42. The heavy-armed infantry,

39 Jofeph. de Bell. Judaico, 1. iii. c. 5. We are indebted to this Jew for fome very curious details of Roman discipline. Life of Hadrian, in the Auguftan Hif

4 Plin. Panegyr. c. 13.

tory,

41 See an admirable digreffion on the Roman discipline, in the fixth book of his hiftory.

42

Vegetius de Re Militari, 1. ii. c. 4, &c. Confiderable part of his very perplexed abridgment was taken from the regulations of Trajan and Hadrian: and the legion, as he describes it, cannot fuit any other age of the Roman empire.

Arms.

CHAP. which compofed its principal ftrength", was diI. vided into ten cohorts, and fifty-five companies, under the orders of a correfpondent number of tribunes and centurions. The first cohort, which always claimed the poft of honour and the cuf tody of the eagle, was formed of eleven hundred and five foldiers, the most approved for valour and fidelity. The remaining nine cohorts confifted each of five hundred and fifty-five; and the whole body of legionary infantry amounted to fix thousand one hundred men. Their arms were uniform, and admirably adapted to the nature of their fervice: an open helmet, with a lofty creft; a breaft-plate, or coat of mail; greaves on their legs, and an ample buckler on their left arm. The buckler was of an oblong and concave figure, four feet in length, and two and a half in breadth, framed of a light wood, covered with a bull's hide, and strongly guarded with plates of brass. Befides a lighter fpear, the legionary foldier grafped in his right hand the formidable pilum, a ponderous javelin, whose utmost length was about fix feet, and which was terminated by a maffy triangular point of steel of eighteen inches. This inftrument was indeed much inferior to our modern fire

43 Vegetius de Re Militari, l. ii. c. 1. In the purer age of Cæfar and Cicero, the word miles was almost confined to the infantry. Under the lower empire, and in the times of chivalry, it was appropriated almost as exclusively to the men at arms, who fought on horseback.

44 In the time of Polybius and Dionyfius of Halicarnaffus (1. v. c.45.) the steel point of the pilum seems to have been much longer. In the time of Vegetius, it was reduced to a foot, or even nine inches. I have chosen a medium.

arms;

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arms; fince it was exhaufted by a fingle dif- CHA P. charge, at the diftance of only ten or twelve paces. Yet when it was launched by a firm and skilful hand, there was not any cavalry that durft venture within its reach, nor any fhield or corflet that could fuftain the impetuofity of its weight. As foon as the Roman had darted his pilum, he drew his fword, and rufhed forwards to clofe with the enemy. His fword was a fhort welltempered Spanish blade, that carried a double edge, and was alike fuited to the purpose of ftriking or of pushing; but the foldier was always inftructed to prefer the latter ufe of his weapon, as his own body remained lefs expofed, whilft he inflicted a more dangerous wound on his adverfary 45. The legion was ufually drawn up eight deep; and the regular distance of three feet was left between the files as well as ranks 46. A body of troops habituated to preferve this open order, in a long front and a rapid charge, found themselves prepared to execute every dif pofition, which the circumftances of war, or the skill of their leader, might fuggeft. The foldier poffeffed a free space for his arms and motions, and fufficient intervals were allowed, through which feasonable reinforcements might be introduced to the relief of the exhausted combatants 47. The tactics of the Greeks and Ma

45 For the legionary arms, see Lipfius de Militiâ Romanâ, 1. iii.

C. 2-7.

46 See the beautiful comparison of Virgil, Georgic. ii. v. 279.

47 M. Guichard, Memoires Militaires, tom. i. c. 4. and Nouveaux Memoires, tom. i. p. 293-311. has treated the subject like a scholar and an officer.