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。
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