Smith, William: A smaller dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities (London, 1871)

EXERCITU8.

166

EXERCITUS.

Tliird Period. During the tears of the
younger Scipio. Polybius describes minutely
the method pursued in raising the four
legions during this period. Under ordinary
circumstances they were levied yearly, two
being assigned to each consul. It must be
observed that a regular consular army (Justus
tonsillaris exercitus) no longer consisted of
Roman legions only, but as Italy became
gradually subjugated, the various states under
the dominion of Koine were bound to furnish
a contingent, and the number of allies (socii)
usually exceeded that of citizens. They were,
however, kept perfectly distinct, both in the
camp and in the battle field. After the elec-
tion of consuls was concluded, the first step
was to choose the 24 chief officers of the
legions, named tribuni militum. The consuls
then summoned to the Capitol all citizens
eligible for military service. They first
divided the 24 tribunes into 4 parties of 6,
and the tribes were next summoned in suc-
cession by lot. The tribe whose lot came out
first being called up, they picked out from it
four youths, as nearly matched as possible in
age and form ; out of these four, the tribunes
of the first legion chose one, the tribunes of
the second legion one of the remaining three ;
the tribunes of the third legion, one of the
remaining two, and the last fell to the fourth
legion. Upon the next tribe being called up,
the first choice was given to the tribunes of
the second legion, the second choice to those
of the third, and the last man fell to the first
legion. On the next tribe being called up,
the tribunes of the third legion had the first
choice, and so on in succession, the object in
view being that the four legions should be as
nearly alike as possible, not in the number
only, but in the quality of the soldiers. This
process was continued until the ranks were
complete. In ancient times, the cavalry
were not chosen until after the infantry levy
was concluded, but when Polybius wrote, the
cavalry were picked in the first place from
the list on which they were enrolled by the
censor according to their fortune, and 300
were apportioned to each legion. The levy
being completed, the tribunes collected the
men belonging to their respective legions,
and making one individual stand out from
the rest administered to him an oath
" that he would obey orders and execute to
the best of his ability the command of his
officers." (Sacramento milites adigere s. ro-
gare, sacramentum s. Sacramento dicere.) The
rest of the soldiers then came forward one by
one, and swore to do what the first had
bound himself to perform. At the same time
the consuls gave notice to the magistrates of
those towns in Italy in alliance with Rome,

from whom they desired to receive a contin-
gent, of the number which each would be
required to furnish, and of the day and place
of gathering. The allied cities levied their
troops and administered the oath much in
the same manner as the Romans, and then
sent them forth after appointing a commander
and a paymaster. The soldiers having again
assembled, the men belonging to each legion
were separated into four divisions. 1. 1000
of the youngest and poorest were set apart
to form the Yelites, the light-armed troops,
or skirmishers of the legion. 2. 1200 who
came next in age (or who were of the same
age with the preceding but more wealthy),
formed the Ilastati. 3. 1200, consisting of
those in the full vigour of manhood, formed
the Principes. 4. 600, consisting of the
oldest and most experienced, formed the
Triarii. When the number of soldiers in
the legion exceeded 4000, the first three
divisions were increased proportionally, but
the number of the Triarii remained always
the same. The Ilastati, Principes, and Triarii
were each divided into ten companies, called
Manipuli. The Yelites were not divided
into companies, but were distributed equally
among the Hastati, Principes, and Triarii.
Before the division of the three classes into
maniples, officers were appointed inferior to
the tribunes. 30 men were chosen by merit,
10 from the Ilastati, 10 from the Principes,
and 10 from the Triarii; and this first choice
being completed, 30 more in like manner.
These 60 officers, of whom 20 were assigned
to each of the three classes, and distributed
equally among the maniples, were named
centuriones, or ordinum ductores, and each of
the 60 chose for himself a Lieutenant (optio),
who, being posted in the rear of the company
while the centurion was at the head, was
named ovpayos (i. e. Tergiductor) by the
Greeks, so that in each maniple there were
two centurions and two optiones. Further,
the centurions selected out of each maniple
two of the bravest and most vigorous men as
standard bearers (vexillarii, signiferi). The
first elected centurion of the whole had a
seat in the military council, and in each
maniple the first chosen commanded the
right division of the maniple, and the other
the left. Each of these subdivisions of the
maniple was called centuria. The cavalry
were divided into 10 troops (turmae), and
out of each of these 3 officers were chosen,
named decuriones, who named 3 lieutenants
(optiones). In each troop the decurio first
chosen commanded the whole troop, and
failing him, the second. The infantry fur-
nished by the socii was for the most part
equal in number to the Roman legions, the