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
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,
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.
