Camp of Polybius.

The camp described by Polybius is such as would be formed at the close of an ordinary day's  p246 march by a regular consular army consisting of two Roman legions with the full contingent of Socii. Each legion is calculated at 4200 infantry and 300 cavalry, the Socii  furnished an equal number of infantry and twice as many cavalry, so that the whole force would amount to 16,800 foot and 1800 horse.

Choice of the Ground.— Although, as stated above, the general outline, the defences, and the internal economy of a camp were altogether independent of the nature of the ground, yet great importance was attached to the choice of a fitting situation which should admit of being readily laid out in the required form, which should afford no facilities for attack or annoyance, which should be convenient for procuring wood, water, and forage, and which the army might enter and quit without danger of surprise. Skill in the selection of such a spot (capere locum castris) was ever considered as high quality in a general, and we find it recorded among the praises of the most renowned commanders that they were wont in person to perform this duty (e.g. Liv. IX.17, XXXV.14, 28; Tac. Hist. II.5, Agric. 20; comp. Quintil. I.O. XII.3 §5). Under ordinary circumstances, however, the task was devolved upon one of the military tribunes, and a certain number of companions appointed from time to time for the purpose. These having gone forward in advance of the army until they reached the place near which its intended to halt, and having taken a general survey of the ground, selected a spot from whence a good view of the whole proposed area might be obtained, that spot being considerably within the limits of the contemplated enclosure.

Construction.— The spot answering these conditions and which we shall call A (fig. 1) was marked by a small white flag. The next object was to ascertain in what direction water and fodder might be most easily and securely provided — this direction we indicate by the arrow in the subjoined figure. Upon the position of A and the direction of the arrow depended the disposition of all the other parts of the work; for these two preliminary points being decided, the business of measuring out the ground (metari castra) commenced, and was executed, as we learn from various sources, with graduated rods (decempedae) by persons denominated metatores. The different steps of the process may be most briefly and distinctly set down in the ordinary language of a geometrical construction.
Through A draw a straight line A0A1, parallel to the direction of the arrow, a straight line B0B1, at right angles to A0A1. These two straight lines A0A1 and B0B1, served as the bases by which the position of all the different divisions of the camp were determined.
Along AA0 set off AA2 = 100 feet; A2A4 = 50 feet; A4A5; A5A6; A6A7; A7A8; A8A9; A9A10 each = 100 feet; A10A11 = 50 feet; A11A12; A12A13; A13A14; A14A15; A15A16 each = 100 feet; A16A17 = 200 feet.
Along AA1 set off AA3; A3A18, each = 100 feet; A18A19 = 167 feet; A19A20 = 200 feet.
Through A2; A3; A4; A5; A17; A18; A19; A20 draw C0C1; D0D1; E0E1; F0F1; G0G1; H0H1; K0K1; L0L1 straight lines parallel to B0B1, and in like manner draw through A6; A7; . . . A16 straight lines parallel to B0B1, as marked in the figure.
On B0B1 make AB2; AB3 each = 100 feet.
Through B2 and B3 draw straight lines parallel to A0A1 cutting C0C1 in C2 and C3, and cutting D0D1 in D2 and D3; in this manner a square area C2C3D3D2 is determined, each side of which = 200 feet.
Along A5F0 set off A5P = 25 feet; PQ = 100 feet; QR = 50 feet; RS = 50 feet; ST = 100 feet; TV = 100 feet; VW = 50 feet; WX = 133½ feet; XY = 200 feet; YZ = 200 feet.
Along A5F1 set off A5P′; P′Q′; Q′R′ . . . Y′Z′, equal respectively to A5P; PQ; QR; . . . YZ.
Through ZZ′ draw straight lines parallel to A0A1, cutting G0G1 in z and z′, and cutting L0L1 in O and O′. The square area OO′z′z thus determined was the camp.
Again, through P; Q; R . . . Y, and throu

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