第6章
加入书架 A- A+

  PartIII。

  ThecampofaRomanlegionpresentedtheappearanceofafortifiedcity。^60Assoonasthespacewasmarkedout,thepioneerscarefullylevelledtheground,andremovedeveryimpedimentthatmightinterruptitsperfectregularity。Itsformwasanexactquadrangle;andwemaycalculate,thatasquareofaboutsevenhundredyardswassufficientfortheencampmentoftwentythousandRomans;thoughasimilarnumberofourowntroopswouldexposetotheenemyafrontofmorethantreblethatextent。Inthemidstofthecamp,thepraetorium,orgeneral\'squarters,roseabovetheothers;thecavalry,theinfantry,andtheauxiliariesoccupiedtheirrespectivestations;thestreetswerebroadandperfectlystraight,andavacantspaceoftwohundredfeetwasleftonallsidesbetweenthetentsandtherampart。Therampartitselfwasusuallytwelvefeethigh,armedwithalineofstrongandintricatepalisades,anddefendedbyaditchoftwelvefeetindepthaswellasinbreadth。Thisimportantlaborwasperformedbythehandsofthelegionariesthemselves;towhomtheuseofthespadeandthepickaxewasnolessfamiliarthanthatoftheswordorpilum。Activevalormayoftenbethepresentofnature;butsuchpatientdiligencecanbethefruitonlyofhabitanddiscipline。^61

  [Footnote60:Vegetiusfinisheshissecondbook,andthedescriptionofthelegion,withthefollowingemphaticwords:—

  \"Universaquaeixquoquebelligenerenecessariaessecreduntur,secumJegiodebetubiqueportare,utinquovislocofixeritcastra,arma\'amfaciatcivitatem。\"]

  [Footnote61:FortheRomanCastrametation,seePolybius,l。vi。

......

购买会员看全站小说,或者下载APP免费观看所有作品 点击立即下载,搜索"History Of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empir",免费读到尾
点击下载App,搜索"History Of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empir",免费读到尾