Polybius, Histories (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Polyb.].
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6.19 On the Roman Army

After electing the Consuls they proceed to elect military tribunes,—fourteen from those who had five years', and ten from those who had ten years', service. All citizens must serve ten years in the cavalry or twenty years in the infantry before the forty-sixth year of their age, except those rated below four hundred asses. The latter are employed in the navy; but if any great public necessity arises they are obliged to serve as infantry also for twenty campaigns: and no one can hold an office in the state until he has completed ten years of military service. . . .

When the Consuls are about to enrol the army they note give public notice of the day on which all Roman citizens of military age must appear. This is done every year. When the day has arrived,

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and the citizens fit for service are come to Rome and have assembled on the Capitoline, the fourteen junior tribunes divide themselves, in the order in which they were appointed by the people or by the Imperators, into four divisions, because the primary division of the forces thus raised is into four legions. The four tribunes first appointed are assigned to the legion called the 1st; the next three to the 2d; the next four to the 3d; and the three last to the 4th. Of the ten senior tribunes, the two first are assigned to the 1st legion; the next three to the 2d; the two next to the 3d; and the three last to the 4th.



Polybius, Histories (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Polyb.].
<<Polyb. 6.18 Polyb. 6.19 (Greek) >>Polyb. 6.20

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