History of Rome

​Yet the severity of the punishment made the soldiers more obedient to their commander, and besides the fact that guards, watches, and the order of outposts were everywhere objects of more intense care, even in the final contest, when they went down into the battle line, that strictness was of service.

​Moreover, the battle was very like a civil war; so much so that there was nothing among the Latins different from the Roman state except for their minds. Previously the Romans used round shields;

​then, after they became paid soldiers, they made long shields instead of round ones; and what previously had been phalanxes similar to the Macedonian ones, this later began to be a battle line drawn up by maniple; finally they were drawn up in several ranks.

​A rank had sixty soldiers, two centurions, and one standard-bearer. The first line was the hastati, ​fifteen maniples, distant from each other by a moderate space; a maniple had twenty light-armed soldiers, and another crowd of shield-bearers; moreover, those who carried only a spear and javelins were called light-armed.

​This first front in the battle line had the flower of the young men growing up for military service. Then a more robust age, of the same number of maniples, whose name is the principes, followed these, all shield-bearers, with especially distinguished arms.

​This army of thirty maniples they called the antepilani, because under the standards already another fifteen ranks were placed, of which each single rank had three parts;

​of these they called each first part a pilum; it consisted of three vexilla; there were one hundred and eighty-six men; the first vexillum led the triarii, veteran soldiers of proven valor, the second the rorarii, of less strength by age and deeds, the third, the accensi, a band of the least reliability; therefore they were also cast back into the hindmost battle line.

​When the army had been drawn up in these ranks, the hastati, first of all, entered the battle. If the hastati could not rout the enemy, retreating step by step, the principes received them into the intervals between their ranks. Then was the fight of the principes;

​the hastati followed. The triarii sat down under their standards with the left leg extended, their shields leaning on their shoulders, and their spears fixed in the ground with the point upright, holding them not otherwise than if a battle line bristled, enclosed by a rampart.

​If among the principes also the battle had not been fought successfully enough, they gradually withdrew their step from the first line to the triarii. Thence, when things are in difficulty, it became common as a proverb that “matters have come to the triarii”.

​The triarii rising up, when they had received the principes and hastati into the intervals of their ranks, ​immediately, having closed their ranks, as if they were closing the ways, and with one continuous army, no hope now being left behind, they fell upon the enemy; this was most terrifying to the enemy, when, having pursued them as if conquered, they suddenly saw a new battle line rising up, increased in number.

​Now, about four legions were enrolled, each of five thousand infantry, with three hundred cavalry for each single legion. An equal number was added from the Latin levy, who at that time were enemies to the Romans and had drawn up their battle line in the same order;

​and not only standard against standard, all hastati against hastati, principes against principes, but also centurion against centurion, if the ranks had not been confused, knew that they had to clash. There were two primi pili from each battle line among the triarii, ​the Roman by no means strong enough in body, but a vigorous man and skilled in military service, ​the Latin of huge strength and a first-rate warrior, very well known to each other, because they had always led equal ranks.

​To the Roman, not trusting enough in his strength, it had already been permitted at Rome by the consuls to choose for himself any sub-centurion he wished, who might protect him from the one destined enemy. And that young man, having presented himself in the battle line, carried off the victory from the Latin centurion.

​The battle was fought not far from the foot of Mount Vesuvius, where the road led to Veseris.