I.

48

CHA P. cedonians were formed on very different principles. The ftrength of the phalanx depended on fixteen ranks of long pikes, wedged together in the clofeft array . But it was foon difcovered by reflection, as well as by the event, that the strength of the phalanx was unable to contend with the activity of the legion ".

Cavalry.

The cavalry, without which the force of the legion would have remained imperfect, was divided into ten troops or fquadrons; the firft, as the companion of the firft cohort, confifted of an hundred and thirty-two men; whilft each of the other nine amounted only to fixty-fix. The entire establishment formed a regiment, if we may use the modern expreffion, of feven hundred and twenty-fix horfe, naturally connected with its refpective legion, but occafionally separated to act in the line, and to compofe a part of the wings of the army 50. The cavalry of the emperors was no longer compofed, like that of the ancient republic, of the noblest youths of Rome and Italy, who, by performing their military fervice on horseback, prepared themselves for the offices of fenator and conful; and folicited, by deeds of valour, the future fuffrages of their countrymen ". Since the alteration of manners

48 See Arrian's Tactics. With the true partiality of a Greek, Arrian rather chose to describe the phalanx of which he had read, than the legions which he had commanded.

49 Polyb. 1. xvii.

50 Veget. de Re Militari, 1. ii. c. 6. His pofitive teftimony, which might be supported by circumftantial evidence, ought furely to filence those critics who refuse the Imperial legion its proper body of cavalry. SI See Livy almost throughout, particularly xlii. 61.

and

53

I.

and government, the most wealthy of the equef. CHA P. trian order were engaged in the adminiftration of juftice, and of the revenues2; and whenever they embraced the profeffion of arms, they were immediately intrufted with a troop of horfe, or a cohort of foot $3. Trajan and Hadrian formed their cavalry from the fame provinces, and the fame clafs of their fubjects, which recruited the ranks of the legion. The horfes were bred, for the most part, in Spain or Cappadocia. The Roman troopers defpifed the complete armour with which the cavalry of the East was encumbered. Their more ufeful arms confifted in a helmet, an oblong fhield, light boots, and a coat of mail. A javelin, and a long broad-sword, were their principal weapons of offence. The ufe of lances and of iron maces they feem to have borrowed from the barbarians 54.

ries.

The fafety and honour of the empire were prin- Auxiliacipally intrusted to the legions, but the policy of Rome condefcended to adopt every useful inftrument of war. Confiderable levies were regularly made among the provincials, who had not yet deferved the honourable diftinction of Romans. Many dependant princes and communities difperfed round the frontiers, were permitted, for a while, to hold their freedom and fecurity by the

52 Plin. Hift. Natur. xxxiii. 2. The true fenfe of that very curious paffage was first discovered and illuftrated by M. de Beaufort, Republique Romaine, 1. ii. c. 2.

53 As in the inftance of Horace and Agricola. This appears to have been a defect in the Roman difcipline; which Hadrian endea voured to remedy, by ascertaining the legal age of a tribune.

54 See Arrian's Tactics.

I.

CHAP. tenure of military fervices. Even felect troops of hoftile barbarians were frequently compelled or perfuaded to confumé their dangerous valour in remote climates, and for the benefit of the ftates. All these were included under the general name of auxiliaries; and howfoever they might vary according to the difference of times and circumftances, their numbers were feldom much inferior to thofe of the legions themfelves". Among the auxiliaries, the braveft and moft faithful bands were placed under the command of præfects and centurions, and feverely trained in the arts of Roman discipline; but the far greater part retained those arms, to which the nature of their country, or their early habits of life, more peculiarly adapted them. By this institution, each legion, to whom a certain proportion of auxiliaries was allotted, contained within itself every species of lighter troops, and of miffile weapons; and was capable of encountering every nation, with the advantages of its refpecArtillery. tive arms and disciplines. Nor was the legion deftitute of what, in modern language, would be ftyled a train of artillery. It confifted in ten military engines of the largest, and fifty-five of

55 Such in particular was the ftate of the Batavians. Tacit. Germania, c. 29.

56 Marcus Antoninus obliged the vanquished Quadi and Marcomanni to supply him with a large body of troops, which he immediately fent into Britain. Dion Caffius, 1. lxxi.

57 Tacit. Annal. iv. 5.

Those who fix a regular proportion of as many foot, and twice as many horse, confound the auxiliaries of the emperors, with the Italian allies of the republic.

58 Vegetius, ii. 2. Arrian, in his order of march and battle against the Alani.

å fmaller

I.

a fmaller fize; but all of which, either in an CHA P. oblique or horizontal manner, difcharged ftones and darts with irrefiftible violence".

The camp of a Roman legion prefented the Encampappearance of a fortified city. As foon as the ment. fpace was marked out, the pioneers carefully levelled the ground, and removed every impediment that might interrupt its perfect regularity. Its form was an exact quadrangle; and we may calculate, that a fquare of about feven hundred yards was füfficient for the encampment of twenty thousand Romans; though a fimilar number of our own troops would expofe to the enemy a front of more than treble that extent. In the midst of the camp, the prætorium, or general's quarters, rofe above the others; the cavalry, the infantry, and the auxiliaries, occupied their respective stations; the ftreets were broad, and perfectly ftraight, and a vacant space of two hundred feet was left on all fides, between the tents and the rampart. The rampart itself was ufually twelve feet high, armed with a line of strong and intricate palifades, and defended by a ditch of

59 The subject of the ancient machines is treated with great knowledge and ingenuity by the chevalier Folard (Polybe, tom. ii. p. 233 -290). He prefers them in many refpects to our modern cannon and mortars. We may obferve, that the use of them in the field gradually became more prevalent, in proportion as perfonal valour and military skill declined with the Roman empire. When men were no longer found, their place was supplied by machines. See Vegetius, ii. 25. Arrian.

66 Vegetius finishes his fecond book, and the description of the legion, with the following emphatic words: "Univerfa quæ in quo66 que belli genere neceffaria effe creduntur, fecum legio debet ubique "portare, ut in quovis loco fixerit caftra, armatam faciat civitatem."

twelve

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CHAP. twelve feet in depth as well as in breadth. This important labour was performed by the hands of the legionaries themselves; to whom the ufe of the spade and the pick-axe was no lefs familiar than that of the fword or pilum. Active valour may often be the prefent of nature; but fuch patient diligence can be the fruit only of habit and difcipline".

March.

Whenever the trumpet gave the fignal of departure, the camp was almost instantly broke up, and the troops fell into their ranks without delay or confufion. Befides their arms, which the legionaries fcarcely confidered as an incumbrance, they were laden with their kitchen furniture, the inftruments of fortification, and the provifion of many days. Under this weight, which would opprefs the delicacy of a modern foldier, they were trained by a regular step to advance, in about fix hours, near twenty miles3. On the appearance of an enemy, they threw afide their baggage, and by eafy and rapid evolutions converted the column of march into an order of battle 64. The flingers and archers fkirmished in the front; the auxiliaries formed the first line, and were feconded or fuftained by the ftrength of the

61 For the Roman Caftremetation, fee Polybius, 1. vi. with Lipfius de Militiâ Romanâ, Jofeph. de Bell. Jud. 1. iii. c. 5. Vegetius, i. 21-25. iii. 9. and Memoires de Guichard. tom. i. c. i.

62 Cicero in Tufculan. ii. 37. Jofeph. de Bell. Jud. 1. iii. 5. Frontinus, iv. I.

63 Vegetius, i. 9. See Memoires de l'Academie des Inscriptions, tom. xxv. p. 187.

64 See those evolutions admirably well explained by M. Guichard. Nouveaux Memoires, tom. i. p. 141-234.